Broward County, Fla, Starts Autopsy Program To Study High Mortality Rate Among Black Infants

KaiserNetwork.org
Oct 28, 2003

The Orlando Sentinel on Monday profiled pediatric pathologist Dr. Carmen Steigman and her Broward County, Fla., program, which is aimed at determining why the mortality rate among the county's black infants is twice as high as the mortality rate among white infants. In 2002, the mortality rate among black infants in Broward County was 8.9 deaths per 1,000 births, compared with 4.2 deaths per 1,000 births for white infants in the county, according to the Florida Department of Health Office of Vital Statistics. In 2001 -- when the mortality rate among black infants in the county was 9.5 deaths per 1,000 live births, compared with 4.1 deaths per 1,000 live births for white infants -- the mortality rate was even higher among infants in two central Broward County zip codes. In addition, stillbirths are more common in the county's black community, with 15 stillbirths per 1,000 live births among blacks, compared with 6.4 stillbirths per 1,000 live births among whites in the county. As part of the program, which health officials and community advocates have been trying to start for the past 10 years, Steigman will conduct autopsies on stillborn infants and infants who die before their first birthday if the cause of death is unknown and the parents want to know the cause of death. The autopsies will be conducted at no charge to the parents, and autopsy results will be collected in a registry, which could be the first of its kind of the nation. Currently, the county medical examiner's office performs autopsies on infants only when there is suspected abuse or when the cause of death is unknown or is thought to be sudden infant death syndrome, or SIDS. "Currently we're only doing autopsies on 10% of the losses, which makes you wonder about the other 90%," Steigman said, adding that she hopes the new program "will look through the dark portal of death as a window to illuminate the fragile mysteries of early life." The program, which is backed by Broward County Medical Examiner Joshua Perper; Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies; the March of Dimes; and the League of Women Voters, will be funded by the North Broward Hospital District, the Broward County Commission, the Children's Services Council and other sources, according to the Sentinel (McVicar, Orlando Sentinel, 10/27).
 

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