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Too Many Babies Don't Live to 1 - help us save them

Demasiados bebés no llegan al año. Ayúdanos a salvarlos.

Help us turn Infant Mortality into INFANT VITALITY

Hear our keynote speaker, Dr. Lindsay Weaver, Indiana State Health Commissioner

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SYMPOSIUM TO ADDRESS INFANT MORTALITY IN ELKHART COUNTY

JOIN US: The Northern Indiana Hispanic Health Coalition (NIHHC) will hold a symposium, “From Infant Mortality to Infant Vitality,” on June 13, from 8:30 AM-1:30 PM at Elkhart Health & Aquatics, 200 E Jackson Blvd.

The symposium will spotlight the need for better prenatal and infant healthcare in our community, particularly among Hispanic families in Elkhart County.

Elkhart County ranks among the top 5 counties in Indiana with the highest Hispanic infant mortality rates, and zip codes 46516 and 46514 have had some of the highest infant mortality rates in the state.

In 2023, according to the Indiana Department of Health, 524 Hoosier babies died before their 1st birthday—that equates to about 10 babies every week.

This symposium will explore effective strategies to improve birth outcomes for our community and shift these statistics from infant mortality to infant vitality.

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Lindsay Weaver MD

“Infant mortality is the No. 1 indicator of a community’s health, and it will take all of us working together to improve outcomes for more Hoosier babies,” said Indiana State Health Commissioner Lindsay Weaver, M.D., FACEP. “I encourage area stakeholders to engage in this discussion of key infant mortality issues in Elkhart County as we work to implement evidence-based programs and create lasting results.”

 

Simposio sobre Mortalidad Infantil en la Comunidad Hispana del Condado de Elkhart – Verano, 2025

“Compartiendo resultados de investigación y recursos disponibles”

Interpretación simultánea Inglés/español estará disponible.

Acompáñenos al simposio de la NIHHC, ¡De la Mortalidad Infantil a la Vitalidad Infantil! El simposio destacará la necesidad de una mejor atención médica prenatal e infantil en nuestra comunidad, en particular entre las familias hispanas en el condado de Elkhart.

El Condado de Elkhart tiene una de las 5 tasas más altas de mortalidad infantil hispana en el estado de Indiana. Este simposio explorará estrategias efectivas para mejorar los resultados de nacimientos en nuestra comunidad.

Los objetivos incluyen:

  • Discutir los factores sociales que están afectando el acceso a la atención médica y sus posibles soluciones
  • Identificar soluciones prácticas para reducir la mortalidad infantil

Los asistentes escucharán a:

  • La ponente principal, la Dra. Lindsay Weaver, Comisionada de Salud del Estado
  • El equipo de investigación de la NIHHC, que compartirá los resultados de su estudio de 18 meses sobre la mortalidad infantil entre los hispanos en el condado de Elkhart.
  • Líderes de la comunidad y las partes interesadas en la aplicación de soluciones prácticas

¡Pasemos de la mortalidad infantil a la vitalidad infantil!

The symposium will feature expert discussions and community-driven solutions. NIHHC is honored to present featured speakers, Dr. Weaver (keynote address), Dr. Jean Marie Place, Associate Professor of Public Health at Ball State University; Dr. Rebecca Johnson, an independent researcher based in Chicago; and Liliana Quintero, MSc, MBA, Executive Director of NIHHC, with more than 20 years of experience in public health among vulnerable populations.

In addition, the event will be a platform to launch NIHHC’s educational communication campaign, inviting stakeholders to shift the focus from infant mortality to infant vitality.

Simultaneous interpretation will be provided in English and Spanish. Registration options include in-person or virtual with livestream broadcasting in English and Spanish.

Register to Attend
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Infant Vitality with NIHHC

JOIN US For the Symposium

Friday, 06/13/2025
8:30am EDT – 1:30pm EDT

Elkhart Health and Aquatics
200 E Jackson Blvd
Elkhart, 46516

 

Register to Attend
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Health Services

Infant Mortality

6.9

Infant deaths per 1,000 live births among Hispanics in Indiana

Infant mortality is the death of an infant before his or her first birthday. Infant mortality in Indiana is among the highest in the nation (National Center for Health Statistics, 2019). The infant mortality rates of Hispanic/Latino(a) communities (6.9 infant deaths per 1,000 live births) in Indiana are much higher than the national rate (5.8) in 2020 (America’s Health Rankings, 2020). A large proportion of infant deaths can be prevented through balanced nutrient intake, obesity reduction, prenatal care, tobacco cessation, safe sleeping practices, and breastfeeding.

Plant the seed of a healthy infant

1. Care for the soil by maintaining a healthy weight prior to becoming pregnant.

2. Don’t plant prior to planting season, meaning use protection when having sex, except when wanting to get pregnant.

3. Plant in a sunny area by cultivating happy relationships.

4. Make sure your seed is fertilized by taking prenatal vitamins.

5. Water the seed by leading a healthy lifestyle.

6. Tend the garden by meeting with a doctor for prenatal care visits throughout pregnancy.

7.Let the seed grow naturally and aim for a full-term pregnancy.

8. Protect the growing sprout by using a car seat and placing the baby on his or her back when sleeping.

For The Love Of Life – English

For The Love Of Life – Spanish

{I shared it with my daughter who’s 17.  She also saw the video. I showed her what to do when she’s the right age to have kids. I told her how to take care of herself and her baby. {
Female, 45
Mother of children 25, 23, 24, and 17-years old and caretaker of other children
{[I learned] that it’s important to have a good nutrition for the babies and for the mothers before the pregnancy and during the pregnancy, so that the babies are born healthy…. Also, good nutrition, like the plant needs water and sun just like the baby needs food before it is born, too. {
Female, 32
Mother of children 12, 10, and 8 years-old and caretaker of other children
{It’s important to prepare ourselves even before it is born. Like the video said, we need to prepare the soil before planting the seed. It’s the same with our kids. Before getting pregnant, we should take care of ourselves, so our kids grow and develop, and so they’re healthy when they’re born.{
Female, 45
Mother of children 18, 17, 13, and 7 years-old
{What I would say is to make us understand that just how a plant needs care, we need to take care of ourselves, too, when we are procreating a child. Just how we take care of our plants, sometimes with a lot of love and fertilizer, we need to take our prenatal [vitamins] and it’s important to do so.{
Female, 44
Mother of children 10, 7, and 6 years-old