Greensboro's African American Community Newspaper since 1967
The numbers are alarming: in 2023; 5,757 babies were born in Guilford County—and 53 of them died before reaching their first birthday. Of those deaths, 70 percent were Black infants.
“Infant mortality is preventable and unacceptable,” said Guilford County Commission Chairman Melvin ‘Skip’ Alston during the Every Baby Guilford conference held July 31. “No family should face the heartbreak of losing a child simply because of where they live, financial wealth, or the color of their skin.”
The community forum, titled “Crucial Conversations: The State of Infant Mortality,” unveiled 2023’s disaggregated data and highlighted the urgent need to confront racial disparities in birth outcomes. According to the Guilford County Public Health Department, the county’s infant mortality rate has remained consistently higher than both state and national rates for more than 30 years.
Though the county saw an 18 percent decline in infant mortality between 2019 and 2021, the trend reversed — rising 19 percent between 2021 and 2023. The 2023 death toll increased slightly from 52 in 2022 to 53 in 2023. Of those, 62 percent were related to perinatal conditions, and 76 percent of those deaths were Black infants.
“The data shows, for every one White baby that dies, nine Black babies die,” said Jean Workman, program manager for Every Baby Guilford. She emphasized the importance of access to prenatal care and empowering mothers to self-advocate for providers they trust.
The forum also included a panel discussion featuring representatives from racial equity and maternal health partners to share strategies for addressing these disparities.
For more than 20 years, Deena Hayes-Greene has served on the Guilford County Board of Education and currently leads as co-founder of the Racial Equity Institute and Managing Director of the Groundwater Institute. She spoke passionately about the urgent need for systemic change to improve birth outcomes in Guilford County.
“In that time, I’ve seen superintendent turnover four times. They come in and bring their own department leaders, all very competent people. However, if you can get rid of everyone in the old system and bring in new people that reflect your goals and the people you are serving, but the outcomes don’t change — tells us that there is something in that system that operates no matter who is there,” she said.
She used the “groundwater” metaphor to explain systemic impact: “If you see one dead fish, you’ll ask, ‘What’s wrong with the fish?’ But if you see a pond with multiple dead fish, then you ask, ‘What’s wrong with the water?’”
She also highlighted how race plays a central, yet often unacknowledged role in shaping people’s lives.
“Race is a complex thing,” she added. “It’s something that we’re born with, it’s a primary indicator of your outcome in life, and is the one thing that none of us are required to know. If you don’t know what it is, how can you begin to address it?”
Dr. James Hoekstra, President of High Point Medical Center, noted that only 20 percent of health outcomes are determined inside hospital walls.
“What we’re doing is partnering with people like you that have the knowledge to address this issue,” he said, pointing to implicit bias training, food access, and care coordination as critical components of change.
When addressing infant mortality, Black maternal health and varying levels of access to care is also a key factor, according to Dr. Olu Jegede, Senior Vice President and Chief Health Equity and Community Impact Officer at Cone Health.
“We have to stop blaming the patient and ask why the system failed them,” said Dr. Jegede. “We must culturally take care of patients. Ask if they even have the means to follow their treatment plans.”
Jacqueline McCracken, COO of Ready for School, Ready for Life, shared the “Roots to Ready” initiative, which supports families by connecting them with resources and support from pregnancy through age three and eventually expanding to age five.
“We noticed we have gaps all along the way — from prenatal to postnatal to a baby’s first doctor’s visit,” she said. “We meet people where they are and ask what they need.”
Launched in 2021, Every Baby Guilford is a collective action movement dedicated to reducing infant mortality and promoting health equity. July 2025 marks year five in the initiative’s five-year strategic plan that outlines four key priorities: advancing health equity, centering community voices, strengthening the continuum of care from preconception through postpartum, and promoting infant wellness and early childhood development.
“Infant mortality is a reflection of community health,” said Courtney McFadden, Guilford County Public Health Director. “When we uplift mothers through nutrition, mental health support, and accessible prenatal care, we uplift entire neighborhoods here in Guilford County.”
To access the full report, visit www.everybabyguilford.org.
