This Fort Worth zip code has one of the highest infant mortality rates

A south Fort Worth community has one of the highest infant mortality rates in the nation. That’s why Baylor Scott and White is partnering with the city to address the problem.

Healthy Newborns. Healthy Mothers.

A new initiative called Team Birth at Baylor Scott and White All Saints Medical Center in Fort Worth will make improving maternal health care a significant priority where it is desperately needed.

It has the backing of doctors, nurses, and clinicians who’ve undergone new training and embraced new perspectives, including the realization that prenatal care can look different depending on a woman’s income, ethnicity, education, and more.

"Disparities exist and they exist right here in our backyard," said Dr. Jaime Erwin, an OBGYN. "Women are dying. Women of color are dying, and we’ve got to do something."

By the numbers:

A sobering statistic over the past decade reveals Tarrant County averages at least six infant deaths per 1,000 live births. 

Particularly in the south side zip code of 76104, the infant mortality rates over the years have been among the highest in the nation.

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What they're saying:

"They’re abysmal. We are one of the worst in the nation, especially for black mothers. I think the data is complicated, especially in 76104, because of the number of families that come into the hospital district to receive care. But when you really think about what we do in this city. We do hard things in partnership together," said Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker.

BSW All Saints Medical Center President Charles Williams said it’s a problem that needs to be talked about.

And that’s what Team Birth aims to do.

"By doing this we are shining light on something that needs to be looked at and we need to fix it," he said.

"There are plenty of mothers who come to this hospital that have never had prenatal care and a clinician needs to meet them where they are," Mayor Parker said.

The Source: The information in this story comes from interviews during an event announcing Team Birth, a new maternal health initiative in Fort Worth.

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