IU School of Medicine at IU Fort Wayne raises money to fight infant mortality

IU School of Medicine at IU Fort Wayne first-year medical students raised $315 for Healthier Moms and Babies, a Fort Wayne organization that works to reduce infant mortality and improve the outcome of pregnancy in Allen County. Dr. Deborah McMahan, Health Commissioner of Allen County, has pledged to match the students’ contribution. The donation will be presented on Thursday, November 21.

"Tackling important community health issues like infant mortality can be daunting, so I challenged these students to work together to address the problem - and they rose to it," said Dr. McMahan. "Thanks to their generosity, 12 newborns in our highest-risk neighborhoods will have a safe place to sleep."

In October, the Indiana State Medical Association Alliance hosted a State Baby Shower at IU School of Medicine’s Fort Wayne campus to bring awareness to infant mortality. The infant mortality rate in Allen County is 7.3 deaths per 1,000 live births, about 25 percent higher than the national rate. Many of these deaths, according to McMahan, can be prevented with better sleep conditions.

The contribution made by Dr. McMahan and IUSM’s students will go towards purchasing portable cribs for clients of Healthier Moms and Babies to promote safe sleep and prevent infant deaths.

Media Contacts

Amber Denney
Email: ambdenne@iu.edu
Phone: 317.278.7703

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