By Andrew Cluley
Ypsilanti, MI – Infant mortality rates are way down in Washtenaw County, especially among African-American infants.
Overall, infant mortality rates dropped eight percent in 2006, but the rate for African-American babies was down 25 percent in the 2004-2006 reporting period.
The Director of Nursing for the Washtenaw County Health Department, Susan Lee, says much of the credit goes to the county's coalition for infant mortality which was formed about two-and-a-half years ago.
She says the next step is to identify areas where the coalition can have an impact, such as access to care. However, the coalition's state funding is in jeopardy as lawmakers continue to wrangle over a new state budget.