KING COUNTY, WA - Today, King County Executive Ron Sims and Public Health - Seattle & King County released to the public disturbing new report findings on the persistent gap in infant mortality between African Americans and whites living in King County.

The report, Racial Disparities in Infant Mortality: King County, 1980-1998, shows that while the 1998 infant mortality rate was the lowest ever achieved in King County at 5.0 deaths per 1,000 live births, progress in infant death prevention has not been shared equally by all groups. The full text of the new report is available online at by clicking here.

"As a whole, King County continues to compare favorably to state and national averages for infant mortality, but these results give us no cause for celebration," said Sims. "At a time when our county is experiencing such a high level of prosperity, it is simply unacceptable that such gaps in the health status of our residents remain."

Following dramatic declines from the late 1980s to the early 1990s, infant mortality rates among African Americans and Native Americans in the County reached a plateau, while rates for whites continued to gradually fall. Infant death rates for Hispanics and Asian/Pacific Islanders have been stable over the last five years.

"Despite continued progress toward infant mortality reduction county-wide, this report shows that African American and Native American infants remain nearly 3 times more likely to die in the first year of life than white infants, a gap that has widened in recent years," according to Alonzo Plough, Director of Public Health - Seattle & King County.

"Public Health must work closely with our community partners to strengthen and enhance a broad range of infant mortality prevention efforts," said Plough.

Key strategies for closing the infant mortality gap include:

• Protecting and improving women's health prior to conception in order to identify risks and treat medical problems (e.g., hypertension). This necessitates expanding insurance coverage to non-pregnant women and ensuring access to family planning and medical services.
  
  
• Providing early and aggressive treatment of reproductive tract infection (e.g., bacterial vaginosis) during pregnancy, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) guidelines.
  
  
• Developing culturally-relevant messages about back sleep position and safe sleep environment for use with families, caregivers, and communities.
  
  
• Facilitating the development of community-driven strategies to provide psychosocial support to pregnant women and families.
  
  
• Supporting efforts to reduce social and economic disparities, and address the impacts of racism on women, families, and communities of color.