Christina Conover, nursing director, said during a Clark County Health Board meeting the Clark County Combined Health District determined the birth rate increase is likely at least partially due to more babies of Haitian descent being born. A health department employee who works with Haitian mothers at the local hospitals noted they have given more than 100 portable cribs to Haitian families since Dec. 1.
“When we take that figure versus what we typically would have seen during that time period, it clearly shows about a 10% increase,” Patterson said.
Mercy Health - Springfield has also seen a 20% increase in its birth rate in the first quarter of the year — much of which they attribute to a focus on women’s health.
Patterson said it’s difficult to tell that the Haitian immigrant population has grown in the county through birth certificates because there is no Haitian category for ethnicity through the federal government, and Haitians identify as different races and ethnicities, like Black and Hispanic.
The health department also found that prenatal care is lacking in the first trimester and sometimes for the entire pregnancy.
“We’re also seeing a trend that we’re trying to keep track of here — low birth weight, and very low birth rate, and other complications at birth because we’re not seeing that prenatal care,” Patterson said.
Rocking Horse Community Health Center is working to establish prenatal care with pregnant Haitian immigrant patients, Patterson said, in order to increase the likelihood of the baby being brought to full term and full birth weight.
The birth rate will likely continue to grow, especially as Haitians continue to immigrate to Springfield and other places in Clark County, Patterson said.
“We speak with our interpreters who work with us every day here, and they say there’s no reason to suspect this is going to stop. It’s going to continue,” Patterson said.
Patterson said in January and February 2022, 130 people died of COVID-19, compared to two to three from January to March of this year. With deaths caused by other factors like heart disease and stroke staying at about the same rate as last year, he said COVID-19 decreases are the most likely cause for the number of deaths going down.
To date, no one has died in Clark County due to the COVID-19 vaccines, according to death certificates, Patterson said. A person’s cause of death must be signed off by a physician.
In Clark County, heart disease is the No. 1 cause of death, followed by cancer then strokes, Patterson said.
“We’ve had these blips with COVID ... but the causes of death remain preventable that people can start early with good nutrition and exercise and doctor visits,” Patterson said. “The causes of disease are preventable if people want to extend their lives.”
About the Author