According to the Indiana Commission on Improving the Status of Children, the state's infant mortality rate is dismal. Infant mortality rate is a measurement of 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. A $1.3 million public awareness campaign will begin this November and include all types of media and digital advertisements. The goal is to educate people on the factors that can lead to birth defects such as smoking and alcohol usage.
