
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: TUESDAY, July 18, 1995                   TAG: 9507190013
SECTION: EDITORIAL                    PAGE: A-6   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: HARRIETTE MULLINS
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

LET'S GIVE BABIES A HEALTHIER START

AS PROVIDERS of health care and related services for mothers and infants, we read with interest your June 25 editorial, ``Too many are born too soon.'' The information cited is all too familiar to those of us who are working to improve the health of women and their babies.

In Virginia in 1993, one out of every 14 births resulted in a low-birth-weight baby (less than 51/2 pounds). This number has remained relatively unchanged for many years.

These little babies are more likely to die in their first year, and survivors are at greater risk for a wide range of health and developmental problems. Medical costs associated with the birth of a single too-small baby have been estimated at between $20,000 and $40,000. As neonatal care succeeds in saving ever-smaller infants, the ``million-dollar baby'' has become a reality for many parents, hospitals, insurers and businesses.

As you point out, reducing the number of babies born too soon or too small would seem to be an appropriate course to follow. Unfortunately, this problem is a convoluted one with medical, social and economic components; consequently, no one solution will ``fix it.''

However, there are interventions that do work in a given situation. Delaying pregnancy beyond adolescence improves outcomes. A pregnant teen enrolled in one of Virginia's Resource Mothers projects is less likely to deliver a low-birth-weight infant. Efforts to improve maternal nutrition and decrease women's use of tobacco, alcohol and other drugs have also been successful. Prenatal care has been shown to be an effective intervention, saving an estimated $3 in medical costs for every dollar invested.

No matter how cost-effective these interventions may be, they aren't free. They also take time to produce results. The question then becomes: Can we find the resources necessary to fund not only the high-tech marvels that can result in million-dollar miracle babies, but to fund also the interventions shown to prevent low birth weight in the first place?

Identifying and supporting those interventions that are best suited to the needs of women and infants in our part of the state is one of the goals of the Region II Perinatal Coordinating Council. As a voluntary association of perinatal health-care providers and advocates funded by federal Title V grant funds, the RPCC seeks to strengthen the system of available health services and to help women gain access to that system. We invite others to become involved in these efforts.

We thank The Roanoke Times for helping to inform the community of problems associated with babies born too soon and too small. There is much that can be done if we, as a community and as individuals, acknowledge these problems and accept responsibility for preventing them.

Harriette Mullins is director of the Region II Perinatal Coordinating Council and serves on its executive committee.

by CNB