COLUMBUS, Ohio - Mahoning County has the state's second highest infant mortality rate, according to the most recent data.

Second only to Butler County, Mahoning's infant mortality rate, defined as the number of babies who died during first year of life per 1,000 live births, was found to be 9.1 overall in 2013.

But why are Mahoning County's numbers the second worst in the state?  The Director of Nursing at Mahoning County Board of Health, Chris Cunningham, says, "We see heighten levels of a decrease in a 12th grade education among our girls. We also see low income. We see poverty and social economic disproportions as well. We also see a lot of women who are not married at a young age which is a leading cause of prematurity."

The Ohio Department of Health also released the ten-year averages for each county.  Mahoning's 2004-2013 average rate was 9.0, Trumbull's was 8.0, and Columbiana 5.9.  However, ODH says not enough data was available to conduct 2013 single-year averages for Trumbull and Columbiana counties.

The state's single-year infant mortality rate came in at 7.4 overall.  

However, both Ohio and Mahoning's rates trail the national average of 6.0 infant deaths per 1,000 live births.

ODH says that although there has not been a significant change in the state's overall rate in nearly 20 decades, 2013's rates do show a slight decline.

The new numbers also show that black infants continue to die at more than twice the rate of white infants in Ohio.

Canfield Pediatrician, John Cox, says the first year of life following birth is important for parents to visit the pediatrician at least seven time.

"Those check-ups are very vital because I'm following their heights, their weights, their head circumferences. I'm making sure the healthy babies are growing proportionately. If I know there is something wrong I can intervene sooner and help out. But that entails them showing up."

Regular prenatal exams can help solve many birth defect issues.  A healthy mother usually leads to a healthy baby.

The Department noted that state health officials believe the 2013 figures do not capture recent initiatives aimed at tackling the issue.  The state-wide efforts include public awareness campaigns, smoking cessation programs, and improved tracking to identify communities most at-risk for infant mortality.

ODH has identified nine such communities, one of which being Youngstown/Mahoning County.  The selected areas, according to ODH, account for 95% of Ohio's black infant deaths and 49% of the state's white infant deaths.  

The Health Department says they have partnered with a national organization of maternal and child health programs to improve birth outcomes in the aforementioned communities.

As to whether the initiatives have improved the situation, ODH says 2014 data is expected to be released in the fall.

The 2013 data and more information can be found at this link.