Effingham, IL-(Effingham Radio)- Report Highlights Ongoing Disparities and Need for Targeted Prevention Efforts; Better Infant and Maternal Health is Key Priority in Healthy Illinois 2028 State Health Improvement Plan

The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) released a new report on infant mortality that shows the statewide rate decreased to 5.6 deaths per 1,000 live births in 2021, the most recent full year of data, compared to 6.5 per 1,000 in 2018. However, the report released during Infant Mortality Awareness Month also documents the historic racial disparities that have persisted nationally in the area of infant health. Governor JB Pritzker has made it a priority to address these disparities and included more than $23 million in the current state budget to improve birth outcomes.

The Illinois infant mortality rate of 5.6 is slightly above the national rate of 5.4. The state has signed on to the national Healthy People 2030 framework established by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services which sets a goal for all states to reach a rate of 5.0 or lower by the year 2030.

“The health of a newborn baby during their first year of life is a critical indicator of the overall health of our society,” said IDPH Director Dr. Sameer Vohra. “As a pediatrician, I was witness to far too many preventable tragedies and saw firsthand the important role that community, health, and social supports play in helping both caregivers and young children thrive. While this report points to progress in reducing the infant mortality rate, it also highlights that despite significant public health efforts, unacceptable racial and ethnic disparities persist. Maternal and Infant health is one of the five priority areas of the Healthy Illinois 2028 State Health Improvement Plan, and IDPH, along with our partners, will continue to focus on the recommended strategies and key resources to improve health outcomes for pregnant people and their newborn infants.”

Infant mortality is defined as the death of an infant before their first birthday. The report covers 2021, in which there were a total 132,228 live birth and 743 infant deaths recorded in Illinois. It offers a comprehensive analysis of infant mortality trends and identifies areas where public health interventions can have the greatest impact. Among the key findings are the following:

• The leading causes of infant death in Illinois are effects of prematurity and fetal malnutrition, birth defects, sudden unexpected infant death (SUID), and pregnancy/ delivery complications. These conditions account for almost 70% of infant deaths.
• In Illinois, the infant mortality rate among infants born to non-Hispanic Black women is nearly three times that of infants born to White, Hispanic, and Asian women.
• If the fetal and infant mortality rate among infants born to non-Hispanic Black women was reduced to rates among infants born to low-risk White women, 204 Black fetal and infant deaths would be prevented each year.
• The Black-White inequity in infant mortality is heavily influenced by trends in deaths due to prematurity and SUID. In 2021, non-Hispanic Black infants were more than four times as likely to die of SUID than non-Hispanic White and Hispanic infants.

The report prepared by IDPH’s Office of Women’s Health and Family Services was supported by funding from the Title V Maternal and Child Health Services Block Grant and general revenue funding for maternal and child health.

The COVID-19 pandemic and its recovery did not appear to have a substantial impact on the overall trend of infant mortality, nor any major cause of infant mortality such as prematurity and fetal malnutrition. From 2020 to 2022, COVID-19 was a factor in 10 infant deaths in Illinois, the majority occurring in 2022, based on provisional data for 2022.

Improving infant and maternal health is one of the five key priorities laid out in IDPH’s State Health Improvement Plan, detailed in the Healthy Illinois 2028 Plan. Released at the beginning of this year, the five-year plan calls for the promotion of a comprehensive, cohesive, and equitable system of care and support services for pregnant Illinoisans throughout the birthing process and for newborns and the first year of infants’ lives.

IDPH and its partners remain committed to addressing infant mortality in Illinois through a comprehensive and evidence-based approach including:

• Support for birthing hospitals with a regionalized perinatal system to improve birth outcomes through training, technical support, and risk-appropriate care.
• The creation of a statewide strategic plan and distribution of Birth Equity Resource Building Grants to support the needs of community-based reproductive healthcare providers funded by $4 million in the current state budget.
• Ongoing data surveillance and collection, including fetal and infant mortality reviews, and a more comprehensive coroner’s and medical examiner’s reporting system to identify underlying causes of infant mortality and inform community-based interventions and policies.
• Home visiting and case management programs to support pregnant and postpartum women and infants to improve birth outcomes.
• Continued support for community-based, culturally accessible safe infant sleep programs, including Illinois Safe Sleep Support.

The Governor’s Birth Equity Initiative invested approximately $23 million to address the historic racial disparities in birth outcomes through a variety of measures, including the creation of a statewide strategic plan. This includes closing the maternal mortality gap through home visiting expansion, capital dollars for community-birth centers, a diaper pilot program, changes to Medicaid reimbursement rates, and a child tax credit for families in poverty.

Additional information about infant mortality in Illinois can be found on IDPH’s website.

It has been a good past couple of weeks for the Illinois basketball program, and the coaching staff wants to continue those good vibes.

While there have been two recruits commit to the Illini in as many weeks, the Illini aren’t just focusing on the immediate recruiting class. Brad Underwood and the Illinois coaching staff want to build the foundation for big-time recruits in future classes as well.

One big recruiting target for the Orange and Blue is Lincoln Williams. He is a 6-foot-5 forward from Kankakee High School in Illinois. Williams is rated as a four-star recruit and ranked as the No. 84 player in the class of 2026. He is also the No. 25 small forward in the country and the best player coming out of Illinois.

The scholarships have started to pile up for Williams as well. He already has roughly 10 scholarship offers with some of the bigger programs including Arizona State, UNLV, and Virginia Tech, to name a few.

On Sunday, it was reported that Williams will be taking an unofficial visit to Illinois on October 19. This wouldn’t be the first visit for the talented forward. He also visited in early February, and that is when Illinois offered him a scholarship.

Underwood likes a wide variety of players on his roster. He wants traditional big men, he likes the shooters, and he wants some athletic freaks who can run the court and do remarkable things above the rim.

Williams is one of those special athletes. He is someone who can jump out of the gym. I like his shot from anywhere on the court, but I believe he would be at his best when attacking the rim.

It is amazing what Williams can do on the wing. He can catch the ball and with just subtle little moves, he can get baseline and get to the hoop. He has a great wingspan that can be a huge asset defensively as well.

Williams is going to develop his game in the next couple of seasons. This kid is going to skyrocket up the recruiting site rankings. It wouldn’t shock me to see Williams cemented as the best player in the state of Illinois and a top 50 recruit overall. The sky is truly the limit.

Maybe it only seems this way to me, but every time you see a piece about changing our clocks back an hour when fall rolls around, you’ll also see a photo of an old-timey alarm clock with the bells on top sitting out in a pile of leaves in a forest or woods someplace.

The photo above is exactly what I’m talking about.

It’s like we all decide at some point during the summer to throw our clocks out into the wilderness, then, a few months later, remember what we’ve done and go pick the clock up out of the pile of leaves and bring it back inside until it’s time to spring our clocks forward.

Maybe I’m reading a bit too much into the clock-changing imagery.

Everyone Really Seems To Want To Stop Changing Clocks Twice A Year, And We Also Really Seem To Want The Powers-That-Decide-These-Things To Just Pick One Time And Stick To It.

Despite all the talk about doing away with clock-changing twice a year in the United States, lawmakers in this state and throughout the country just can’t seem to get their act together and get rid of something that a majority of Illinoisans want to see go away once and for all.

There have been several efforts at making a change, but they’ve all failed and left us with no choice but to keep rolling with this spring forward/fall back cycle we’re currently trapped in.

In 2022, The U.S. Senate Took A Vote And Unanimously Passed A Bill That Would Make Daylight Saving Time Permanent

So why has nothing changed? Well, for one, this was done by voice-vote, and has not been taken up by the House of Representatives. Also, the current administration has not actually articulated a stance on the topic to begin with.

Then there’s the problem of picking the wrong method of time-keeping to begin with. After the vote in favor of permanent Daylight Saving Time, the American Academy of Sleep Medicine issued a statement that praised the idea of eliminating time changes, but lamented the fact that the Senate chose the wrong one to keep around:

The AASM position statement also indicates that “current evidence best supports the adoption of year-round standard time, which aligns best with human circadian biology and provides distinct benefits for public health and safety.” The statement was endorsed by more than 20 medical, scientific, and civic organizations, including the American College of Chest Physicians, American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, National PTA, National Safety Council, Society for Research on Biological Rhythms, and World Sleep Society.

While Everyone Works That Problem Out (Hopefully Within Our Lifetimes), Here’s When Illinoisans Should Turn Those Clocks Back

I wanted to give you a little heads-up time now, so you won’t find yourself scrambling later to change your clocks because you keep showing up early to everything.

Before 2005, clocks were to be turned forward on the first Sunday in April, then turned back again on the last Sunday in October.

Now, we “spring ahead” on the second Sunday in March, and “fall back” on the first Sunday in November. So, on Saturday November 2nd, turn your clocks back an hour before you call it a night so you’ll be all set when the time change happens at 2am on Sunday, November 3rd.