The Indiana Department of Health will host its ninth annual Labor of Love infant mortality summit on Nov. 17 at the Westin in downtown Indianapolis. This year’s summit, which features both in-person and virtual attendees, will focus on the important role that community conversations play in identifying and addressing the causes of infant mortality and reducing the racial disparities that exist in infant deaths in Indiana.
Sessions will include presentations and facilitated conversations on topics including birth equity, postpartum depression, midwifery access, COVID-19 vaccines during pregnancy, newborn screening, safe sleep, ways to engage fathers, and many others. A complete list of topics and speakers can be found at www.LaborofLove2021.com.
“Reducing infant mortality and improving health outcomes for both mothers and babies is more than a one-time event, which is why we are focused on ensuring that the conversations around early prenatal care, safe sleep and other risk factors can occur all year long,” said State Health Commissioner Kris Box, M.D., FACOG. “We are grateful to be able to facilitate these conversations at a state level and look forward to seeing the work continue in communities across the state.”
Eden Bezy, director of Maternal and Child Health for the Indiana Department of Health, said events like the Labor of Love summit complement state efforts to improve birth and maternal health outcomes, including the My Healthy Baby program, which connects pregnant individuals to resources to help them navigate their pregnancy and the baby’s first year of life; the hospital Levels of Care program, which helps ensure that women deliver their babies at the facility that is best suited to meet their medical needs; and adoption of the Alliance for Innovation on Maternal Health safety bundles, which address issues such as hemorrhage and high blood pressure that contribute to maternal deaths.
“Indiana continues to take a multi-pronged approach to improving infant and maternal health outcomes, and we are grateful to all of the partners across the state who have joined us in this effort,” Bezy said.