Report Shows 24% of EUP Pregnant Women Smoke
Local Great Start Collaborative Research
By Amy Polk

The Eastern Upper Peninsula Great Start Collaborative report includes survey results and information about conditions that help children become good students and succeed in school and life. It is available online at www.eupkids.com.

Among the most significant factors in the report is the high percentage of women who smoke while pregnant, which leads to low birth weight and threatens health in children. In the Eastern Upper Peninsula, 24% of pregnant women smoke, compared to 14% state-wide. Smoking while pregnant deprives a fetus of oxygen and nutrition and increases the risk of miscarriage, stillbirth, and premature birth. It also increases the chance of the fetus developing genetic defects, such as cleft lip and palate.

Babies born prematurely can have more breathing problems and longer hospital stays. Babies born to mothers who smoked while pregnant have a higher chance of breathing lapses while sleeping or suffering Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).

Early Childhood Coordinator Becky Davis said a lot of information was learned in compiling the report. One of the findings is that many local families use the emergency room for their primary care physician, Mrs. Davis said.

"A number of people," she said, "don't have an identified physician for their child."

Not only is this expensive, but there is no single place where the child's medical records are being kept and collected over time. A child with multiple ear infections, for example, could go for years visiting emergency rooms without someone identifying a serious medical condition. That child might not hear well, which could impact speech development, and consequently reading ability and school performance.

"More importantly than making these risk rates lower is letting parents know that there are better choices they can make," Mrs. Davis said. "There are resources available to people."

Other findings in the report include:

• The Eastern Upper Peninsula's unemployment rate is higher than the entire state of Michigan. The average unemployment rate for Chippewa, Luce, and Mackinac counties was about 8.6%, compared to Michigan's average of 7.5%, which last month was the highest in the country, followed by Mississippi and Alaska. The national unemployment rate is 4.7%.

• The Eastern U.P. rate of child abuse among children ages infant to five (with an average of three documented cases of abuse in 1,000 children) is higher than Michigan's rate. The state average for abuse is 1.5 out of 1,000 children.

• The region slightly leads the state average for neglect (with an average 12.4 documented cases out of 1,000). The state average for neglect is 12.1 out of 1,000.

• Most of the region's children younger than 18 are living in two-parent homes. Only 13.4% of local children live in single parent homes, compared to the state average of 24.5%. The lower rate is considered a positive factor because it indicates a more stable home environment.

• Almost twice as many children in the E.U.P. are tested for lead poisoning than the rest of the state, and far fewer children are lead poisoned in the E.U.P. The percentage of children tested in this area is 45.3% of children in Luce, 41.4% of children in Mackinac, and 29.4% of children in Chippewa. Over five years between 2001 and 2005, only two cases of lead poisoning were found, one in Mackinac and one in Chippewa. By comparison, only 21.8% of all Michigan children were tested, yielding 1,703 cases of lead poisoning. Poisoning from lead-based paint, pipes, solder, fishing weights and sinkers, and other sources is known to cause learning disabilities, attention deficit disorders, lowered IQ, and antisocial behavior.

• The E.U.P. in 2005 was slightly above the state average in the percentage of children who are immunized against dangerous diseases. An average 65.4% of local children are immunized, while 63.98% of the state's children are.

• About 7% of Michigan's 418,134 WIC (Women, Infants, and Children Program) users are in the E.U.P. The program, for low to moderate income families, provides food coupons to pregnant mothers, infants, and children whose diet is lacking nutrients. A family of two earning $18,889, for example, can qualify for dairy, beans, juice, cereal, and egg coupons. There are about 2,900 WIC users in the threecounty area, with 383 in Mackinac and 2019 in Chippewa.

• Local use of Family Independence Program has increased by 2.7% from 2002 to 2006. The statewide increase was only 0.4%. The program provides cash assistance to help families with children pay for living expenses, clothing, and personal care.

• Between 2000 and 2005, the E.U.P.'s population decreased by 374 children younger than age four. Great Start attributes this to fewer children being born and more families with young children leaving the area.