NC Child’s county data cards & interactive data dashboard provide local snapshots of child well-being. The county data cards present the latest data for key indicators in five areas of children’s well-being: A Strong Start, Family Economic Security, Nurturing Homes and Communities, Health and Wellness, and High-Quality Education. View Durham’s 2024 County Card below to see a snapshot of how we’re doing.
While all of these measures are important to the overall health and wellbeing of our county’s youngest residents, we want to highlight a few statistics that directly relate to the mission and vision of Breastfeed Durham.
A Strong Start
- 68.1% of women in Durham county received early prenatal care in 2022
- Early prenatal care improves a baby’s chances for a healthy birth and a great start in life. Studies show that early prenatal care has the greatest impact on teens, single women, and women of color – all of whom are at higher risk for complications during pregnancy. Ensuring that families have affordable health insurance and local health care providers can help eliminate racial disparities.
- 8.6% of babies in Durham county were born at a low birthweight in 2022
- A low birthweight (less than approximately 5.5 pounds) increases the risk of health problems as an infant and later in life. Black families are most likely to have a low birthweight baby compared to all other racial and ethnic groups. Many factors can increase the likelihood of low birthweight, from environmental factors like exposure to air pollution or lead, to health factors like nutrition and stress. Affordable health insurance and quality health care are two of the most effective tools to reduce racial disparities, so that more children can be born at a healthy birthweight.
- 9.4% of babies in Durham county were born pre-term in 2022
- Babies have the best chance to grow up healthy after a full-term pregnancy. Premature birth (before 37 weeks of gestation) can lead to health problems like asthma, difficulty fighting infections, behavioral problems, and even mental illness later in life. Pre-term birth is often tied to maternal health challenges pre- and post-conception, such as diabetes, obesity, hypertension, and smoking. To minimize these and other risk factors, families need access to health insurance and quality health care.
Health & Wellness
- Durham county had 4.9 infant mortalities per 1,000 live births in 2022
- While this tragic statistic has been slowly improving, North Carolina still has one of the highest rates of infant mortality in the nation. Black mothers and infants are at double the risk of death in our state – even higher in some counties. We can save lives and close this unacceptable gap. Affordable health insurance, and access to quality health care, are vital.