Indiana

The state of Indiana continues to have wide ethnic and racial disparity in the proportion of birth to teenage mothers, mothers with inadequate education, unmarried mothers, and mothers who receive late or inadequate prenatal care. Indiana has a specific program for children, pregnant women, and low-income working families—Hoosier Health-wise—which is administered by the state Family and Social Services Administration. The program is designed to allow access to primary and preventive services (including prenatal care in the first trimester of pregnancy) as well as to all necessary health care services. Every member of the program has the right to a personal doctor, or primary medical physician. The program serves more than 450,000 children and pregnant women. The state ranked 31 in children's health and well-being, according to the 2009 Kids Count report, which takes into account teen birth rate, child poverty, infant mortality rate, and high school dropout rate.

In 2006, the total of live births in the state of Indiana were 89,404, which represents a 2.7 percent [Page 557]increase from 2005 (87,088). Since 1990, the proportion of births to Hispanic women has more than quadrupled, while it has declined by almost 10 percent for non-Hispanic whites. The proportion has not changed for non-Hispanic black women. The 2006 general fertility rate (GFR) was 68.9 births per 1,000 women aged 15–44. Reflecting the trends of the last decade, this represents an increase, compared to the 2004 figure of 67.2 per 1,000 women aged 15–44. The total fertility rate (TFR) was 2,098 for all races, which almost equals the replacement level rate of 2,100. The TFR for Caucasian women was 2,098, while it was 2,338 for African American women.

The state infant mortality rate of 8 deaths per 1,000 live births places Indiana above the national average of 6.7 deaths per 1,000 live births, the 10th highest among all states. Indiana also has a higher percentage of mothers who reported smoking during pregnancy: 17.3 percent as compared to 10.7 nationwide in 2005. Prenatal care within the first trimester of pregnancy was used by 77.6 percent of mothers, with a higher percentage among Caucasian mothers (79.2) compared to African American mothers (65.6), not a significant improvement since 1990.