"If you show them love from an early age, they become healthier." How do Hispanics in northern Indiana think about infant mortality and perinatal health?

Background: Infant mortality, the death of a baby before its first birthday, is a concern in the Hispanic population in Indiana who have higher infant mortality rates than at the national level. Infrastructure and policy issues, effects of systemic racism and bias, lack of knowledge about perinatal health, and insecurity of the Hispanic community are issues challenging Hispanic infant health in Indiana. The purpose of this study was to describe the beliefs that comprise the Hispanic community's understanding about infant mortality. Method: This study used a qualitative descriptive design and data was analyzed using a Constructed Grounded Theory approach. Ten participants were recruited for an in-depth interview through a Hispanic-serving community coalition in northern Indiana. The interviews aimed to understand participants' understanding of what constitutes a healthy pregnancy and a healthy infancy, as well as their understanding of the causes of infant mortality and perceptions of whether it can be prevented and by whom. Results: Three themes emerged from the data and included (1) Parental neglect plays a role in infant mortality; (2) Responsibility in parenting is central to prevention of infant mortality; and (3) Readiness matters when becoming pregnant and keeping child healthy. Conclusion: The Hispanic population may possess a distinct cultural understanding of the causes of infant mortality that does not align with expert knowledge. Results suggest participants place greater emphasis on postpartum care in the prevention of infant mortality and may not fully grasp the importance of prenatal care on postpartum outcomes. Targeted, culturally-salient communication and educational interventions are needed on infant mortality among the Hispanic population to ensure they can readily recognize factors that contribute to infant mortality.