It's an urgent question, posed in disparate corners of Palm Beach County:
Why are 16 of every 1,000 black babies dying before taking their first breath?
Some younger mothers are losing their babies after rough sex, fights and overly physical play. Other mothers battle depression, diabetes, high blood pressure and weight. Compounding those factors are the drag of poverty, a distrust of doctors, and a lack of education, foresight and proper nutrition.
The findings are part of a year-long, Legislature-financed effort to uncover the causes of high black infant-mortality rates in eight counties across the state.
One speaker at a Delray Beach meeting recounted the story of a pregnant, 16-year-old focus group participant who had lost a baby at 13 after a fight at school.
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