PROGRAM TO STUDY INFANTS' MORTALITY

PROGRAM TO STUDY INFANTS' MORTALITY; A PATHOLOGIST HOPES TO DISCOVER WHY BLACK 
BABIES DIE AT TWICE THE RATE OF WHITE BABIES. 

Nancy Mcvicar, South Florida Sun-Sentinel. Orlando Sentinel.
Orlando, Fla.: Oct 27, 2003.  pg. B.3

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

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."