The Tennessee Department of Health announced last September that Shelby County ranked last among Tennessee's 95 counties for the healthy growth and development of children and families. The finding was based on a statewide needs assessment that identified risk factors affecting families' health and well-being. The factors included rates of infant mortality and teen pregnancy, as well as exposure to poverty, domestic violence and crime.
An ongoing cohort study of Shelby County mothers1 suggests that eight percent of pregnant mothers may regularly experience high levels of prenatal stress, placing their babies, and their early cognitive development at risk.
Research that was presented at the 2009 Infectious Diseases Society of America meeting found that getting a flu vaccine during pregnancy greatly improves a child’s chances of having healthy birth outcomes.