On Tuesday, Councilwoman Vanessa L. Gibson joined with advocates and healthcare leaders in announcing over $400,000 in City Council funding to combat high rates of infant and maternal mortality in the Bronx. Data shows that New York State has a relatively high rate of maternal mortality relative to other states in the country, with 20.8 deaths per 100,000 people in 2018. In 2017, most pregnancy-related deaths in NYC occurred in residents of Brooklyn (33% of all pregnancy-related deaths in NYC) and the Bronx (29%). The Bronx also has high rates of infant mortality with eight of the eleven Bronx community districts having higher infant mortality rates than the NYC average.
Racial disparities also persist with women of color experiencing higher maternal complications in NYC than white women and babies born to Non-Latina Black mothers experience an infant death rate of 7.9 per 1,000 live births, compared to 2.3 deaths per 1,000 live births born to Non-Latina white mothers.
The funding will be allocated to Bronx Health Link for its doula program and to Gotham Health: Morrisania`s lactation program which aims to improve health outcomes for Bronx mothers.
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