infant mortality

The legislation, which state Rep. Jim Murphy called "a pro-life bill that everybody agrees with," also expands tax credits for maternity homes and diaper banks and creates a "Zero-Cost Adoption Fund."

As the number of fetal and infant deaths in Kansas City begins to rise again, a group of women is trying to make sure expecting mothers are well educated on risk factors.

For nearly two decades, Missouri experienced a downward trend in the number of fetal and infant deaths, but in the past few years, the number of deaths ticked up again. Nurture KC works in neighborhoods with high rates of infant mortality, reporting on causes and solutions.

Breast milk is like medicine for low birth weight and at-risk babies, but not all infants have access. A human milk donation drop off site at Wyandotte County's health department is raising awareness and supporting babies in need across the Midwest.

Wyandotte County tiene una alta tasa de bebés nacidos con bajo peso. Un nuevo depósito de leche podría ayudar a proporcionar la leche materna en esos casos.

Wyandotte County has a high rate of low birth weight babies. A new milk depot could help get needed breast milk for those cases.

A recent report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture found working-age rural residents die from natural causes at a higher rate than their urban counterparts. And that gap has widened over the years.

Missouri was one of only four states, along with Georgia, Iowa and Texas, that saw an increase in infant mortality between 2021 and 2022, according to federal data. And Black women are dying at much higher rates than their white counterparts.

Infant mortality in Missouri went up 16% between 2021 and 2022, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Missouri was one of only four states that showed a significant rise.

Mortality rates for Kansas City mothers and infants, especially in Black and brown communities, are well above the national average. So local groups are stepping outside the traditional health care system to bridge the gap. Plus: The leaders of a small southeast Kansas hospital say the only way to keep it from closing is to cut back on services.

Between 2012 and 2016, 662 babies in the Kansas City metro area died — about 11 every month. Maternal mortality rates are also higher than the national average, but some Kansas City groups are trying to improve both.

Former Kansas City, Kansas, mayor Mark Holland sees a path to victory against longtime U.S. Sen. Jerry Moran, who's running for re-election this November. Plus, Black babies in Kansas have long had a much higher chance of dying than white babies — and then the pandemic hit, and Black infant mortality surged 58%.