Michigan Council for Maternal and Child Health Friday Notes

September 5, 2014
In this issue
Sue Snyder Applauds DMC's Efforts to Advance Safe Sleep Practices
Racial Disparities in Breastfeeding May Start With Hospitals, Study Suggests
Maternal and Child Health Fact Sheet: Adverse Childhood Experiences

Sue Snyder Applauds DMC's Efforts to Advance Safe Sleep Practices
This week Michigan First Lady Sue Snyder praised collaborative efforts between the Detroit Medical Center, DHS and DCH to raise awareness of the dangers of unsafe sleep practices with new parents. The collaboration goes beyond requirements of the new Michigan Infant Safe Sleep Act signed into law by Governor Snyder in May.

The safe sleep partnership was announced Thursday at DMC's Children's Hospital of Michigan Detroit Specialty Center. About 140 Michigan babies die annually due to unsafe sleep environments. Health providers have emphasized these deaths are 100 percent preventable.

The new state law requires hospitals and health professionals to provide parents readily available information and educational materials such as a brochures or educational video regarding infant safe sleep practices following the birth of a child. DMC is implementing an engaging approach, with hospital staff actively involved in discussing the importance of safe sleep with parents of newborns.

"I'm honored to stand with so many others in support of such an important cause," said Sue Snyder. "Together, we've made progress toward ensuring no little ones in Michigan are lost too soon, but there is always more that can be done. I thank all involved for their efforts to continue informing parents and caregivers so no families have to experience a tragedy and loss like this."

"It's hard to believe we see on average more than 50 infant deaths annually in Detroit and the surrounding metro Detroit area from unsafe sleep, " said Dr. Herman Gray, DMC executive vice president, Pediatric Health Services. "It is critical that parents in our communities receive the education they need to better understand how to practice safe sleep with their babies.

"Suffocation due to unsafe sleep is 100 percent preventable and the DMC, along with the efforts the state is making, will continue to expand our education provided onsite to help spread awareness around this important health risk."

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Racial Disparities in Breastfeeding May Start With Hospitals, Study Suggests

Black mothers are less likely than white moms to breastfeed their babies, and here's one possible reason why: Hospitals in neighborhoods with many black residents do less to promote nursing than those in areas with more white residents, a U.S. government study finds.

Key practices that support breastfeeding are much less common in medical centers where the black population is higher than average, researchers from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported last month.

These practices include efforts to initiate early breastfeeding, limited use of formula and "rooming-in" (keeping the mother and baby in the same room).

"These findings suggest there are racial disparities in access to maternity care practices known to support breastfeeding," Jennifer Lind and her CDC colleagues wrote in the Aug. 22 issue of the CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

Nationally, breastfeeding rates among black infants are about 16 percent lower than for white infants, the agency said. For this study, the researchers linked data from a 2011 U.S. survey on maternity practices in infant care and nutrition to U.S. Census data on the percentage of blacks living within the zip code area of a given health-care facility.

Looking at more than 2,600 maternity centers overall, the investigators found a wide variation in implementation of 10 policies that support breastfeeding. Those practices included having a written policy supporting breastfeeding, prenatal breastfeeding education and limited use of pacifiers after childbirth.

Where the percentage of black residents was more than 12.2 percent (the national average from 2007 to 2011), the hospitals were less likely than centers elsewhere to meet five important indicators, the study found.

Only 46 percent of hospitals in neighborhoods with more black residents than average promoted early initiation of breastfeeding versus nearly 60 percent of centers in areas with more white residents.

Limited use of breastfeeding supplements was half as likely in hospitals in the more racially diverse neighborhoods (13 percent) compared with hospitals in neighborhoods with more white residents, the findings showed.

And having the baby stay in the room with the mother was standard practice at about 28 percent of hospitals in neighborhoods with more black residents compared to 39 percent of centers in areas with more white residents.

"The reasons for this disparity are unclear. However, this observation could provide insight into the reasons for the persistent gap in breastfeeding rates between black and white babies in the United States," according to a journal news release.
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Maternal and Child Health Fact Sheet: Adverse Childhood Experiences

The DCH Maternal & Child Health Epidemiology Section has released a new Maternal & Child Health Fact Sheet--Adverse Childhood experiences in Michigan, 2011-2012. This fact sheet is the first to report on life course metrics.

A maternal and child health Masters of Public Health student analyzed the data and prepared this fact sheet; the student was assigned to MDCH by the Health Resources Services Administration (HRSA) through the MCH Graduate Student Epidemiology Program specifically to develop deliverables and analysis based on the AMCHP Life Course Indicators project. More information about the Life course Indicators can be found here.

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Contributors to this Issue
HealthDay
MDCH
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Quick Links . . .

Health Innovation Grants Applications Due Sept. 22

The Michigan Department of Community Health (MDCH) has released a Request for Proposal (RFP) for organizations interested in applying for Health Innovation Grant funds for one-time projects up to $35,000 that demonstrate an innovative approach to improving the delivery of Michigan's health services. Applications are due Sept. 22. Applicants may be public, non-profit and private organizations. MDCH is looking for projects that may be replicated and have clearly defined outcomes. Organizations are encouraged to include matching funds in their proposal in support of their proposed initiative.

Details on the RFP are available here.

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More Michigan Health Endowment Fund Listening Tour Stops Announced

The Board of Directors of the Michigan Health Endowment Fund is conducting a listening tour to gain a better understanding of the health issues confronting Michigan residents, and to familiarize the public with the purpose of the Michigan Health Endowment Fund.

The listening tour will be comprised of at least six sessions located throughout the state. The first of the six dates was July 21 and was held at Michigan State University. The next session is September 15 from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. at Northwood University, Griswold Communications Center in Midland.

Register online for the September 15 session here. The agenda is available here. Check the Michigan Health Endowment Fund website for upcoming details.
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Essentials for Healthy Homes Practitioners

September 23 and 24; 8:30am - 5:00pm

Fair Housing Center, 20 Hall SE, Grand Rapids

Cost: $125; Online registration

This 2-day training will help you understand the connection between health and housing and how to take a holistic approach to identify and resolve problems that threaten the health and well-being of residents.

Everyone from a public health nurse or CHW visiting a client; to an environmental health, code compliance or building safety professional doing an inspection; to property maintenance professionals and landlords will gain insight into how housing and health are related and actions they can take to improve the health of their clients.

The training identifies root causes of health problems in a home and links them to seven principles of healthy housing: keep it dry; keep it clean; keep it pest-free; keep it ventilated; keep it safe, keep It contaminant-free; and keep it maintained. Course participants will have a better understanding of how to collaborate to make healthy homes a reality in their community.

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