Organization set to release grant money to fight infant mortality

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- Ohio has the eighth-highest infant mortality rate in the country, according to the CDC, but the numbers are even worse when you look at the breakdown by race.

However, a Columbus non-profit and its partners are working to address this. CelebrateOne’s grant cycle is coming to an end and it’s getting ready to announce the next round of recipients.

CelebrateOne data shows the disparity ratio almost doubled in 2023.

"I think largely we know that the largest factor that contributes to the disparity is racism, and I think sometimes that's really difficult for folks to sit with because how do you get your hands around what that looks like?" CelebrateOne Executive Director Danielle Tong said. "For Black women, the one resounding statement that happens over and over again is that people don't feel heard or listened to by their providers."

In 2021, the CDC said Ohio saw the fourth-highest number of infant deaths.

CelebrateOne is getting ready to announce a new batch of grant recipients, and the groups they are supporting now are still hard at work trying to bring the number down.

"It's a really terrible issue here in Ohio," Moms2B Medical Director Dr. Kamilah Dixon said. 

That issue is something that is impacting Black families at a higher rate. CelebrateOne’s 2023 numbers show the infant mortality rate for Black babies is four times higher than white babies.

"The way that CelebrateOne looks at this is in each of the interactions with the various systems that our families interact with throughout the duration of their pre-pregnancy through postpartum," Tong said.

It’s a big issue to tackle, but one the organization isn’t doing on its own.

"We know that to be able to change that rate, we have to go beyond the exam room,” Dixon said. “So our program meets our moms where they are in the community.”

Moms2B focuses on educating and helping mothers. Dads2B does the same for the fathers.

"While there had been a lot of work done around infant mortality as it relates to educating mom on how to have a healthy pregnancy, there hadn't been any focus on fathers," founder and CEO of Urban Family Development Center David Fluellen said. 

Dads2B wants to make sure support is coming from all sides.

"We encourage dads to not just take mom to the prenatal visit, but actually park the car, get out, go in and be a part of the visit," Fluellen said.

It’s a team of many organizations, working to keep babies and their families healthy.

CelebrateOne’s past grant cycle helped 11 organizations.

"One of the benefits of renewing that cycle every two years is to help us stay current and fresh on the organizations that are doing this work,” Tong said. “So there are many, many people invested in this mission, and we're grateful for that.”

CelebrateOne is also working to address the maternal mortality rate. This is another area they are seeing racial disparities, with Black mothers dying around three times more than white mothers.