By Debbie Hightower
Thomasville Times
DAVIDSON COUNTY — A baby born today in Davidson County has a life expectancy of 76.6 years at birth, 5.1 years less than a baby born in Watauga county, the North Carolina county with the highest life expectancy. According to a new report released by N.C. Child, the location where children are born makes a big difference in their life expectancy and the quality of their health.
Across the state life expectancies vary dramatically by county of residence. Based on 2013 data, the report gauges the life expectancy for a child born in Davidson County as slightly less than the state average of 78.3 years.
In Watauga County, children can expect to live an average of 81 years – on par with Japan where residents have the longest life expectancy of any major country. Drive just 140 miles southwest to Swain County and children’s life expectancy declines by nearly a decade to 73 years. On average, children born in Swain County have life expectancies on par with children in Cambodia.
The county-level pictures of child health and well-being were produced by Laila A. Bell, director of research and data at N.C. Child. Bell compiled data on social, economic and health outcomes for the data cards as a supplement to the North Carolina Child Health Report Card, an annual report released in partnership with the North Carolina Institute of Medicine that monitors the health and safety of children in North Carolina.
“Across indicators we see that a distance of fewer than 100 miles can mean the difference between positive or negative outcomes in children’s lives, a fact that simply cannot be explained by random chance or genetic predisposition,” said Bell. “These geographic disparities are a stark reminder of the profound impact the environments where our children live, play and go to school have on their long-term health opportunities.”
A woman’s health and well-being before pregnancy sets the stage for her baby’s future health outcomes. Maternal risk factors include health status, educational achievement and economic security.
How healthy are Davidson County’s children? What is their outlook for the future?
N.C. Child data tracked a variety of indicators ranging from income and insurance coverage to asthma and infant mortality.
1 in 24 births in Davidson county (4.1 percent) is to a woman who received very late or no prenatal care, putting both mother and baby at higher risk for pregnancy complications or poor birth outcomes.
Low birthweight has been found to be the strongest predictor of infant mortality. One in 11 (8.8 percent) of Davidson babies is born at a low birth weight. During 2013, seven infant deaths were recorded in Davidson County, including two African-American, one Latino and four white children.
25.5 percent of Davidson children live in poverty. Poverty is linked to greater risk for health challenges such as diabetes, heart disease, obesity and developmental delays.
Healthy insurance coverage helps children achieve and maintain their best health. One in 18 Davidson children, or 5.5 percent is uninsured, 1,929 of whom may be income eligible for Medicaid or N.C. Health Choice.
Health education supervisor at Davidson County Health Department, Jen Hames laments that the snapshot doesn’t offer information about previous years. She enumerated the successes that have been achieved in recent years in the county as well as work that remains to be done.
“A partnership of community agencies has worked together to improve pregnancy outcomes and interventions for young children,” she said.
“To improve pregnancy outcomes, the Davidson County Health Department has the WIC program and Pregnancy Care Managers. The WIC program provides nutrition education and counseling to pregnant women, during the pregnancy and up until the child turns 5-years-old. The pregnant woman also receives food vouchers for healthy foods. Eating healthy, and knowing what foods are healthy, and having access to healthy foods, is one of the most important steps the pregnant woman can take to have a healthy baby. Pregnancy Care Managers work with pregnant women to help ensure they are going to the doctor regularly, they have the resources they need, and can answer questions or provide information. These two programs refer clients to each other.
“Another good thing is that, with the Affordable Care Act, more women are qualifying for health insurance, ensuring they can receive the medical care they need.”
Teens are at higher risk for pregnancy complications and premature births, but according to Hames the teen pregnancy rate in Davidson County has been steadily decreasing over the past decade. Factored in the reduction are birth control services provided by the health department. In addition, all three school systems in the county teach a comprehensive sexuality education curriculum. At local schools, school nurses who work with individual students to provide education and counseling play an invaluable role in school age children being healthy and having access to resources.
Bell urged that by making three investments, all of North Carolina’s counties can continue to make progress toward the health of all children and families.
Strengthen access to health insurance for women of reproductive age by expanding Medicaid to cover adults below 138 percent of the Federal Poverty Line.
Support infant mortality prevention strategies like the Healthy Babies Bundle recommended by the Child Fatality Task Force.
Invest in early intervention services to reduce the effects of developmental delays.
“We know that smart public policy decisions can help enhance local efforts to ensure all children in North Carolina live in homes and communities that promote their health and development,” Bell said.
To visit the county snapshot page, visit http://www.ncchild.org/publication/2013-child-health-report-card-county-data-cards/.