JACKSON, Miss. (WLBT) - Mississippi lawmakers say they are putting every option on the table to help reduce the current infant mortality rate.

There was a joint House and Senate hearing on the issue that lasted hours on Thursday morning.

State Health Officer Dr. Dan Edney said he does not want people to hear about the infant mortality rate and only think about the statistics.

“Every infant loss represents a devastated family, a grieving community, and a future cut short,” noted Edney. “Far too many families in our state know the heartbreak of losing a baby before their first birthday. We cannot and will not accept this as our normal.”

Neonatologist Dr. Randy Henderson chaired the committee that reviewed all the death certificates of those babies from 2024.

They found more than half of

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