The Baltimore City Health Department says the number of sleep-related infant deaths nearly doubled last year. In 2017, 13 babies died in their sleep in Baltimore City, compared to seven deaths the year before. On Tuesday, the department testified in front of the City Council. They are pushing to take more action against sleep-related infant deaths. “There are multifaceted issues to why someone might not put their baby to sleep safely,” Rebecca Dineen, co-leader of B’More for Healthy Babies. “These are conditions that are a result of their environment as much as it is knowledge of the right thing to do.” 

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By identifying specific public health problems and offering care to people the moment they need it, population health initiatives can work with primary care to improve health outcomes before patients go to their physician's office or the ER.

Evan Behrle, a special adviser for opioid policy with the Baltimore City Health Department, described a program that seeks to reduce the infant mortality rate by 40 percent within eight years.

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