Project LID (lower infant deaths). Lessons learned from a local infant mortality review project

Project LID (Lower Infant Deaths) is an infant mortality review project conducted by the Minneapolis Department of Health and Family Support and the Saint Paul-Ramsey County Department of Public Health. Infant death occurs when a live-born infant dies before age 1. Multidisciplinary teams reviewed 112 infant-mother cases involving infant death using vital and medical records. Open-ended maternal interviews were conducted for approximately half of the cases. This combination of quantitative and qualitative data provided insights into the contributing social, medical, and environmental factors experienced by some families in Hennepin and Ramsey counties. Case review teams developed recommendations to address factors identified in each case. Recommendations are directed to health care providers, professional societies, health systems, government organizations, policymakers, and community- and school-based organizations. This article describes findings from the project and presents recommendations for Minnesota physicians with practices in obstetrics, family medicine, and pediatrics.