Press Releases FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE November 17, 2009 Contact: Mia Taylor Communications Department LA Best Babies Network (213) 250-7273 contact@labestabies.org

LA Best Babies Network Releases First Perinatal Scorecard for LA County

The perinatal period is the time around childbirth, from three months before pregnancy until one year after birth—a critical period for ensuring a child’s lifelong health.

There are too many women in LA County who do not have a regular source of health care before or between pregnancies, largely due to lack of health insurance. Premature births, and their associated complications and costs, are on the rise. Two known contributors to the prematurity rate are assisted reproductive technology, leading to multiple births, and the increasing number of late-term, medically-induced births.

On Prematurity Awareness Day, LA Best Babies highlights these vital issues with the release of its Perinatal Scorecard, which presents sobering data on mothers and their infants in LA County. The first report to focus on the perinatal landscape of LA County, the Scorecard examines 11 interrelated perinatal health indicators, chosen because they represent poor outcomes that can often be avoided:

• preterm birth
• low birthweight
• infant mortality
• lack of a medical home
• unintended pregnancy
• multiple births
• maternal mortality
• teen pregnancy
• maternal depression
• breastfeeding
• child abuse and neglect

“We hope that this report will serve as a call to action to all perinatal stakeholders in LA County, and that we can use it to galvanize policy-makers, healthcare providers, and women and families to do all they can to increase healthy births,” said lead author, and LA Best Babies Network executive director, Margaret Lynn Yonekura, MD.

The Scorecard identifies regional, ethnic, and economic disparities. It also highlights programs that are effectively addressing the problems, and finally, makes recommendations on how we can do better.

Scorecard highlights for LA County:

• 13.5% of African American babies were born weighing less than 5 pounds, 8 ounces (low birthweight) in 2008.
• Between 1997 and 2007 preterm births increased by 9.6%
• Preterm births occur twice as often to African American mothers as to white mothers.
• More than a third of women said they were depressed during pregnancy.
• 15- to17-year-old Latinas are 7 times as likely as white teens to give birth.

Some key recommendations for providers and policy-makers: Cesarean births and medically induced births, before 39 weeks gestation, should only be performed when there are evidence-based obstetrical or medical indications. Increase access to health care for women before and between pregnancies. Create more baby-friendly hospitals. Teach every woman to have a reproductive life plan. Expand home-visitation services for new parents.

Download the Perinatal Scorecard

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About LA Best Babies Network

LA Best Babies Network is a dynamic network linking more than 100 individuals and organizations that are dedicated to improving the health of newborns and their families. Launched as part of First 5 LA’s Healthy Births Initiative, the Network works to ensure that high quality perinatal care and social support is available to all families throughout L.A. County. To achieve this goal the Network focuses on five interrelated strategies of the Healthy Births Initiative: (1) caring for mothers-to-be; (2) improving the quality of perinatal care; (3) creating a network of caregivers and advocates; (4) sharing knowledge and resources; (5) advancing policies that advance healthy births.