Birth Equity
The Birth Equity Initiative (BEI) is a comprehensive
effort to address disparities in infant mortality and low birth
weight, particularly among infants born to black women in the
Boston area, through engagement and empowerment of women, their
families and their communities.
The BEI is an urgently needed public health approach since the
infant mortality rate (number of infants who die before age one) is
a widely accepted marker of a community's overall health.
What is Birth Equity?
The concept of birth equity is grounded in the belief that a
lifetime of health begins at birth. In Boston in 2007, black
infants died at nearly four times the rate of white infants and
there were 50 percent more births with low birth weight among black
women compared to white women.
Low birth weight and preterm births are strong predictors of
infant death. Clear and compelling evidence demonstrates the
adverse and lifelong impact of low birth weight on a child's
ability to thrive:
• Intellectually
• Physically
• Mentally
• Socially
By ensuring healthy birth outcomes among women in Boston's most
underserved neighborhoods, we aim to address not only the immediate
disparities in infant mortality and low birth weight, but also a
broad range of other health concerns.
Project Description
Through the Birth Equity Initiative, we are leading a
collaborative effort including community residents, families,
organizations and other institutions to help improve the health of women, children
and families. This program will also ultimately
transform the social and economic determinants underlying the
disparity in infant mortality.
A core component of the BEI is the development of partnerships
with related new and existing collaborative efforts in Boston.
These partnerships help enhance our ability to achieve goals and
objectives -- and our ability to offer better services for the
community.
The ultimate goal of the BEI is to eliminate racial and ethnic
disparities in infant mortality and related birth outcomes --
including low birth weight and preterm deliveries. Progress towards
this goal will be achieved through a three-phase process,
implemented over 10 years.
Please help support us in changing the
disparities in infant mortality by giving a generous gift to
Brigham and Women's Hospital today.
Learn more about the
Birth Equity Initiative at Brigham and Women's
Hospital, or call the Director of Health Equity Programs at
617.525.7580.
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