MADISON, Wis. (WTAQ) - A special state committee is trying to find out why black babies in Wisconsin die at a much higher rate than white infants.
Lawmakers, doctors, and others on the panel got together for the first time this week. Racine paramedic Mark Villalpando said he was tired of performing CPR on children, especially when many infant deaths can be prevented.
Some communities have encouraged parents to make sure babies sleep on their backs and in their own beds. Other causes of baby deaths are not as easy to identify.
Richard Perry of Community Health Systems in Roscoe Illinois says the role of poverty might not be as extensive as many people think. He says middle and upper-class black parents are affected – and not just the poor.
The medical school at U-W Madison is studying the problem in 4 counties with high black infant mortality rates – Milwaukee, Racine, Kenosha and Rock. The head of the panel, Doctor Phil Farrell, cited previous studies which show that spending on public health in Wisconsin lags behind other states.
