Public Health Snapshot: Richmond County, NC
Maternal and Community Health Engagement
A look at key health indicators affecting families in the county. Hover over the ? icons to learn more about each metric.
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Infant Mortality Rate
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Preterm Births
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Low Birth Weight
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Severe Maternal Morbidity
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First Trimester Prenatal Care
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Maternal Vulnerability Index
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Obstetric Care Providers
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Teen Birth Rate
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Breastfeeding Initiation
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Elevated BLL at 1 & 2 Years
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Medicaid: Pregnant Women
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Medicaid: Infants & Children
Policy Recommendations
Based on the current health snapshot of Richmond County, local leaders and advocates should consider the following interventions to improve maternal and child health outcomes:
- Expand Care Infrastructure: With only two practicing obstetric care providers in the county, ensuring funding and support for doulas and community health workers to connect rural residents to timely first-trimester prenatal care.
- Support Youth Health Education: Address the high teen birth rate (34.5 per 1,000) by funding comprehensive, evidence-based reproductive health education and expanding access to youth-friendly family planning services.
- Fund Community-Based Doula Programs: To combat the high infant mortality (13.2) and maternal vulnerability index (84), subsidize doula and lactation consultant services, which are proven to improve birth outcomes and boost breastfeeding initiation rates.
- Target Environmental Hazards in Housing: Mitigate early childhood elevated blood lead levels (1.4%) by increasing county funding for targeted lead abatement programs and enforcing stricter inspections in older, high-risk rental housing units.