Press Release

• Tweet

January 18, 2006

Contra Costa's infant mortality rate has been lower than the state's rate for nine of the last 10 years for which statistics are available. During that time, the Fetal Infant Mortality Review (FIMR) Program has been using a community-based process to investigate factors associated with fetal and infant death on a local level.

These and other findings are chronicled in Contra Costa Health Service's (CCHS) newly released report, Contra Costa Fetal Infant Mortality Review Program, Findings and Accomplishments, 1998 - 2004.

"Our FIMR Program coordinates a team of health, medical and social service professionals that examines individual cases of fetal and infant death that occur in Contra Costa," said Dr. Cheri Pies, Director of CCHS Family Maternal and Child Health Programs, in announcing the report.

"A critical component of the review process is making recommendations for improving the manner in which community resources and service delivery systems respond to the needs of families, and then translating those recommendations into actions," stated Dawn Dailey, FIMR Program Manager.

"Infant mortality is widely regarded as a measure of a community's social and economic well-being, as well as it health," states the report. "It reflects a range of factors such as medical issues, the ability of health care systems to respond to the needs of women and infants, environmental factors, and social issues such as poverty, education and culture."

"The purpose of the new report is to share the FIMR Program's findings and contributions in addressing fetal and infant mortality from the program's inception in 1998 through 2004," said Kristina Kutter, FIMR Project Coordinator.

"The report presents local data on fetal and infant mortality, findings and recommendations from FIMR's case review process, and projects and interventions implemented in response to case review recommendations," said Kutter.

Among other findings, the report documents that in 2001, the county's infant mortality rate fell below the Healthy People 2010 objective of 4.5 deaths for every 1,000 live births. It also describes examples of the program's projects and activities, including introducing a prenatal health card and conducting information campaigns about folic acid and prematurity.

The report can be accessed online at: cchealth.org/services by clicking on Fetal Infant Mortality Review. More information is available from Kristina Kutter, FIMR Project Coordinator, at kkutter@hsd.cccounty.us or 925-313-6355.

# # #