According to the Indiana Commission on Improving the Status of Children, the state's infant mortality rate is dismal.
The infant mortality rate looks at how many babies don't reach their first birthday out of every 1,000 live births. The Journal Gazette reports the group discovered in 2012, two-thirds of all deaths under the age of 18 in Indiana are infants.
The study also revealed one baby dies every 13 hours, with an infant mortality rate of 6.7. That's the second time in more than 100 years the rate has dipped below 7.
A $1.3 million public awareness campaign will begin this November in Indiana. The goal is to educate mothers on factors that can lead to birth defects or congenital malformations such as smoking and alcohol usage.
The “Labor of Love” campaign will include digital ads and all types of media displayed throughout the state.
