Date of Award

Spring 2018

Degree Name

Bachelor of Science

Major

Psychology

First Advisor

Dina Anselmi

Abstract

Infant mortality is the death of an infant within the first year of life. These deaths are measured annually as a rate per every 1,000 live births and is a key indicator about maternal and infant health in a society (CDC, 2018). The United States infant mortality rate is very high when compared to other equally wealthy nations. Black infants die at a much higher rate than other racial groups, including in Connecticut. The city of Hartford's Department of Health and Human Services has plans to reduce infant mortality by providing quality prenatal and postpartum care programs and services. In 2013, the Maternal and Child Health Division (MCHD) developed a Strategic Plan with specific objectives to monitor these deaths in hopes of reducing them. The present study analyzed the vital records of live births (N = 11,553) and infant mortalities (N = 105) from 2010 to 2015 to chart progress on several specific goals of the MCHD by comparing Pre-Plan (2010-2012) and Post-Plan (2013-2015) groups. The comparisons show that MCHD has met goals in several but not all areas for data available up to 2015. It is recommended that extending the Strategic Plan and where possible analyzing data more quickly, may lead to better tailored objectives that can be reached in a timely manner.

Comments

Senior thesis completed at Trinity College for the degree of Bachelor of Science in Psychology.

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