Forsyth County health staff cite racial disparity in infant deaths despite overall downward trends

Joshua Swift, speaking for Forsyth County Public Health, presented infant mortality and child fatality review data to the Board of Commissioners on Sept. 25 and described outreach and prevention work the department is coordinating. The data matter because infant death rates and disparities are indicators of maternal and child health — and they guide prevention activities and funding priorities. Swift said Forsyth County’s preterm birth rate in 2023 was 10.9 percent (babies born before 37 weeks), roughly in line with the state rate (10.8 percent). Low birth‑weight births (under 5.5 pounds) were 9.9 percent in the county versus the state rate of 9.4 percent. The county’s overall infant mortality rate was 6.8 deaths per 1,000 live births in the most recent reporting period; Swift highlighted a persistent disparity: non‑Hispanic Black infants experienced an infant mortality rate of 14.1 per 1,000 live births compared with 4.8 per 1,000 for white infants, a ratio of about 2.94. Swift described County Public Health’s role coordinating an Infant Mortality Reduction Coalition that includes hospitals, community groups and service providers. He reported a state grant of $6,000 used for a five‑week digital safe‑sleep campaign that targeted women ages 18–45 in county zip codes; the campaign delivered roughly 800,000 impressions and 65,000 full video views on platforms such as Facebook, TikTok and YouTube. The campaign’s core message emphasized the ABCs of safe sleep: baby alone, on the back, in a crib. On child fatalities, Swift said the county’s Child Fatality Prevention Team (a multi‑agency group required by state law) reviewed 59 child deaths from the 2023 calendar year; 30 of those were infants. The team’s subcommittee referred 23 cases (39 percent) for full team review when systemic or multi‑agency issues were identified. Causes across the full‑review cases included extreme prematurity, congenital anomalies, medical illness, accidents, unsafe sleep/co‑sleeping and suicide; unsafe‑sleep coded cases had declined in recent years, Swift said. Swift said the department’s prevention priorities include more prenatal care access, safe sleep education, behavioral‑health resources and cross‑agency coordination. He asked for continued commissioner support for prevention work and community partnerships.