Res. No. 1811 Title Resolution calling on the appropriate committee of the Council to hold hearings on the rate of infant mortality in New York City and the City's efforts to reduce this rate. Body By Council Members Perkins, Clarke, Malave-Dilan, Eisland, Espada, Freed, Henry, Linares, Marshall, Nelson, Quinn, Reed and Oddo; also Council Members Carrion, Eldridge, Fisher, Foster, Harrison, Leffler, Michels, Pinkett, Robinson, Wooten, Sabini and Moskowitz. Whereas, New figures compiled by the New York City Department of Health (DOH) indicate that in 1999, babies in the city less than a year old died at the rate of 6.9 per 1,000 which is a slight increase over the 1998 figure of 6.8; and Whereas, In some of these communities, such as Fort Greene, Brooklyn the infant mortality rate has gone from 8.8 deaths for every 1000 births in 1998 to 10.9 in 1999 and in Central Harlem the infant mortality rate more than doubles the citywide rate at 15.5 infant deaths per 1000 births; and Whereas, While the city wide figures may not seem like a dramatic increase, there are communities where the infant mortality rate is extremely high; and Whereas, An analysis of DOH data contained in an article entitled "Body Politics" that was published in the September 20-26, 2000 edition of the Village Voice, revealed that the infant mortality rate was highest in communities with large numbers of immigrants; and Whereas, The article also found that risk factors such as poverty, lack of or inadequate health insurance, and low levels of education and literacy also contributed to a higher infant mortality rates in certain communities; and Whereas, There are homeless women although willing to obtain prenatal care, that have been placed in shelters away from their home boroughs or have had to make finding an apartment for their family a higher priority; and Whereas, An article in the February 5, 2000 edition of the New York Times also blames the increase in infant mortality rates in certain communities on the funding reduction in the federal program known as "Healthy Start"; and Whereas, Healthy Start was begun in the early 1990's to benefit high-risk mothers in lower-income communities such as Central Harlem and Fort Greene in Brooklyn by providing prenatal care, baby care, medical referrals, and other services such as housing assistance to pregnant women and infants; now, therefore, be it Resolved, That the Council of the City of New York calls upon the appropriate committee of the Council to hold hearings on rate of infant mortality in New York City and the City's efforts to reduce this rate. BM LS#3933 3/21/01 C:\Resos-Perkins-Infant Mortality in New York City |10
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