Insights

Testing ideas is not a new concept—we’ve all employed the process of trial and error at some point. A small test of change, however, transforms trial and error into a disciplined process of trial and learning. 

Testing ideas is not a new concept—we’ve all employed the process of trial and error at some point. A small test of change, however, transforms trial and error into a disciplined process of trial and learning. 

Affecting about 1 in 10 babies born in the United States, preterm birth (i.e., birth before 37 weeks gestation) is a leading cause of infant mortality and a major contributor to long-term disability. 

Washington state is known for having a low rate of infant mortality—fifth lowest in the U.S. But the state is still actively working on reducing infant mortality even further. In fact, leaders in the state are developing an interesting strategy that targets substance abuse.

Tammy Smith's daughter, Precious, often got sick as a baby and she cried—a lot. "One time she was holding her arm and we thought it was broken, but it wasn’t. Another time she couldn't even sit up. She would just cry and cry. The doctors kept giving us medicine, but it didn't help," recalls Tammy.

It's vitally important that parents and other infant caregivers receive consistent and accurate messaging on safe sleep. But unfortunately, expectant families receive a lot of mixed messages. We all need to do a better job translating what the research identifies as best practices into helping families in the day-to-day practice of caring for their infants.

Thousands of infants die each year in unsafe sleep conditions. Sadly, the majority of sleep-related deaths are preventable. One innovative and successful approach to reduce these tragedies is to train law enforcement, fire rescue squads and other first responders to educate families about safe sleep habits.

The saying, “if you can make it here you can make it anywhere,” of New York City, holds true for even its youngest members. New York City’s infant mortality rate—4.6 deaths per 1,000 live births in the first year of life—is nearly 30 percent lower than the U.S. rate. What’s the city’s secret? A multi-pronged, multi-sector approach that taps into the power of collaboration.

When kids with sickle cell disease come to an emergency room (ER) asking for painkillers, the care can sometimes be less than ideal. In a busy ER, there can be long wait times, and, especially with an illness like sickle cell disease that has no visual signs of pain, doctors sometimes question whether a patient is really in a medical crisis or just drug seeking.

As more primary care practices work towards identifying themselves as a medical home, patients and family caregivers can play a vital role in shaping how healthcare is delivered.

From my recent experience at the Infant Mortality Summits, it seems that the time is ripe for the widespread growth of quality improvement strategies in the public health arena, says Lloyd Provost.

Compared to other Western countries, infant mortality in the U.S. is shockingly high. High infant mortality is a social problem that can only be solved through massive collaboration and out-of-the-box innovation.