Mortality rates in Arizona on the rise for moms, babies

PHOENIX — Women and children who live in Arizona were more likely to have poorer health conditions than women and children who live in many other states, a recent report found.

United Health Foundation recently released its Health of Women and Children Report for 2018 and Arizona did not fare too well.

In all, the state ranked No. 39 in the nation, up from No. 43 just two years prior.

But while Arizona has increased its overall ranking, not all of the news has been good.

The report also found that the rates of infant mortality, maternal mortality and teen suicide in the state have been on the rise.

Dr. Deneen Vojta, the executive vice president of research and development with the UnitedHealth Group, said the infant mortality rate in Arizona increased by more than seven percent between 2016 and 2018.

Vojta said the biggest factor in infant mortality was premature babies or babies who were born with a low birth weight.

The infant mortality rate in Arizona, according to Vojta, was also 42 percent higher than the national rate.

But Arizona aligned with the national rate in one instance: Maternal mortality.

Vojta said in both Arizona and nationwide, the maternal mortality rate was tied to women between the ages of 40 and 44.

The reason for the link could be because older women who get pregnant are more likely to have health problems such as high blood pressure and diabetes, she added.

Teen suicide in Arizona also increased by more than 19 percent since 2016.

Vojta said suicide accounted for 12.4 percent of all deaths for adolescents in Arizona.

But the issue overwhelmingly affected American Indian teenagers, she added.

Suicide accounted for 26 percent of all deaths for American Indian teenagers in Arizona — a rate that was more than double that of the overall teenage rate.

“It’s a [problem] that will take all of us to solve,” Vojta said.

KTAR News 92.3 FM’s Griselda Zetino contributed to this report. 

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