Hamilton County has the fourth highest infant mortality rate in Tennessee, said Elizabeth Cotellese, director of Baby University.
However, she said the county used to be at the top of the list. When Ms. Cotellese spoke to the Chattanooga Civitan Club on Friday, she said the Health Department and CAT/IRIS have helped make great progress over the years.
In 2011, though, she said 108 infants died in the state of Tennessee, 32 from Hamilton County.
Ms. Cotellese told Civitan members that the mission of Baby University is to effectively prepare children for lifelong success, from healthy pregnancies through early childhood development. They work with families who have children under two years of age, but primarily target on pregnant mothers.
The program launched July 1, 2015 and focuses on the East Lake and Highland Park areas, with plans to expand to the Alton Park communities within the next few months.
Through a partnership between the city of Chattanooga, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Tennessee, and Signal Centers, Baby University hopes to decrease the infant mortality rate by “increasing parental education and awareness” and connecting mothers with much needed resources.
Ms. Cotellese told Civitan members that the primary cause of early child death is SIDS, Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. Baby University combats SIDS by educating parents about the ABCs of Safe Sleep (alone, on the back, in a crib) and helping new mothers acquire safe sleep environments for their infants.
Ms. Cotellese also explained that nearly 20 percent of children in Hamilton County are not born at a healthy weight. This, she said, can lead to lifelong struggles, “increased learning, behavior and health challenges,” as well as “longer and more frequent hospitalization.”
She said the leading cause of premature birth was no access or inadequate access to prenatal care.
Baby University's intensive case managers, including two bilingual specialists, work weekly with pregnant mothers to help provide education and connect them to resources, whether it be prenatal vitamins or employment opportunities.
Currently, the organization works with 77 mothers, and since they began, 100 percent of their pregnant mothers have been provided with prenatal care and no babies have been born under weight.
Ms. Cotellese also said that 1 in 4 children in Hamilton County are not ready to begin Kindergarten each year.
“We want to increase language and communication skills by making sure that every child has a book from birth,” she said.
She told members that brain development starts during pregnancy and 80-90 percent of brain development occurs by age three. Positive early childhood experiences, such as exposure to books, have a major impact on the infant’s future success.
With goals to expand and eventually provide services to all of Hamilton County, Baby University is always in need of donations.
While monetary contributions and gift cards are welcome, the following items are also needed: diapers, wipes, strollers, baby clothes and children's books.
Donations can be dropped off at 109 North Germantown Road from Monday-Friday between 9 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Arrangements can also be made by emailing elizabeth_cotellese@signalcenters.org.