The Courage to Love Commission

Implications for Care, Research and Public Policy to Reduce Infant Mortality

The infant mortality rate in the U.S. continues to be high relative to rates in other economically developed countries. From 2001 to 2002, our infant mortality rate increased for the first time in decades. Compounding this issue is the persistent disparity in infant mortality rates, such that twice as many black babies as white babies die in infancy.

The purpose of the Courage to Love Commission is to review the history of infant mortality rate analysis and interpretation, redefine the problem, examine basic assumptions, and imagine new possibilities for action. Specifically, the Commission focuses on new and promising research on the lack of social support and presence of unmitigated stress as potentially contributing factors in preterm births and infant mortality. 

An initiative funded by the W. K. Kellogg Foundation