FIMR INSIDE


2 5 5 6 6


Overview of NFIMR Conference FIMR Success Story Resource Update FIMR Faces In the Literature


Background A


rooted in social determinants and social equity models.


ccording to the Maternal and Child Health Bureau, “Life course theory (LCT) is a conceptual framework that helps explain health and disease patterns— particularly health disparities—across populations and over time. Instead of focusing on differences in health patterns one disease or condition at a time, LCT points to broad social, economic and environmental factors as underlying causes of persistent inequalities in health for a wide range of diseases and conditions across population groups. LCT is population


LCT is population focused, and firmly


focused, and firmly rooted in social determinants and social equity models. For more information, please click here.


FIMR and LCT


The LCT concepts are a natural fit to the work being done in FIMR case reviews and an outgrowth of local FIMR advocacy for underserved families in the community. Local FIMR programs were thinking about ways to incorporate principles of LCT into their FIMR process. The seventh national FIMR conference in June 2012 acknowledged and built upon concepts of health equity and LCT principles. To continue that work, NFIMR had a one- time opportunity to award one year small grants through an RFA process to seven projects to develop successful model FIMR/LCT programs that other FIMR programs can emulate and inform the way all 200 local FIMR projects examine individual cases of infant deaths. This adaptation will be crucial to the ongoing vitality of all FIMR projects. The seven awarded programs have developed exciting and innovative strategies to integrate LCT into their FIMR programs. These are described below:


Baltimore City FIMR, Baltimore, MD ‘Evaluating the Effectiveness of Neighborhood Action Teams’


Baltimore City has already started incorporating LCT into their FIMR program through the B’more for Healthy Babies Initiative. The program has been using Neighborhood Action Teams (NAT), multidisciplinary teams which will be conducting education and outreach in neighborhoods with high rates of infant mortality. The NATs will then translate recommendations to being meaningful in those neighborhoods. So far, BCFIMR has also


Continued on page 3 A publication of the National Fetal and Infant Mortality Review Program • 202.863.2587


MAKING A DIFFERENCE IN THE COMMUNITY Spring 2013 www.nfimr.org


Incorporating Life Course Theory into FIMR


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8