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Show Region Boasts Utah's Lowest Infant Rate of Mortality The Southwest District has the lowest infant mortality rate in Utah according to William J. Coffman, director and chief health officer for the district. A report received from John Brocker, Utah Department of Health Southwest District which Includes Beaver, Garfield, Iron, Kane and Washington counties, states that the district's infant mortality rate was 6.5 infant deaths per thousand live births. That compares with Utah's overall rate of 9.1 and 10.6 for the United States for the same 1983-84 period. Coffman explained that infant mortality is affected by medical, genetic, environmental and human behavioral factors, and as such the rates is an indirect measure of the health status of a community. "All I can say is something is right, and it is happening in this five-county area," said Coffman. "The Southwest District has had a decline of over 50 percent for 11 years, from 14.2 in 1974-76 to 6.5 In 1983-84. "This is an outstanding achievement and is a credit to the services provided by our medical community and public agencies. Physicians, nurses, aides, social workers, psychologists, sanitarians, and nutritionists working in hosp-tials, the health department, mental health agency and family life services, all make significant contributions to dropping this rate down to its present level," Coffman continued. "Professionals and staffs are to be congratulated for their contributions to this effort." Another statistic complimentary of health efforts in the area was revealed by Coffman. He stated that the neonatal death rate per thousand live births in the Southwest District was also the lowest in Utah at 2.9 for the same period. The neonatal period is for the first 28 days of life for an infant, during which initial care is provided in hospitals. Some births, he noted, occur in homes or other places, which puts the mother and infant at risk, according to Coffman. "I feel that infant dep.th rates could drop even further if we consciously plan our families, identify expectant mothers who are at risk, see that high risk mothers receive prenatal care, and insure that the nutrition and diet of the mother is prescribed to keep low birth rates at a minimum," said Coffman.. He also explained that the South-, west Utah District Health Department has several programs that respond to the needs of mothers and infants "at risk." "The bigsest obstacle to some women for receiving care during pregnancy is money. Some put off seeing a doctor until just before a delivery because they don't have money," said Coffman. "This places both mother and infant at risk. Coordinating the Public Health Department's program with local physicians and other medical facilities and agencies reduces the risks. Money should never be a problem to receiving care gnd maybe that is why the South-west District is so great," Coffman ' ' concluded. |