Infant Mortality in United States

United States

Losing an infant is devastating for parents, families and communities. For the bereaved parents, it can result in extreme and debilitating grief that impedes daily activities and interpersonal relationships. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, nearly 20,600 infants died in the United States in 2022. The leading causes of infant death were congenital abnormalities, low birth weight and sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). The infant mortality rate in the U.S. is consistently and considerably higher than in other developed countries. 

Significant racial and ethnic disparities persist in infant mortality in the United States, with particularly striking gaps between the high infant mortality rates of non-Hispanic Black and American Indian/Alaska Native populations compared with Hispanic, non-Hispanic white and Asian populations.

Other populations with higher rates of infant mortality include:

• Babies born to women younger than 25 or older than 40, compared with those ages 25-40.
• Those living in high-poverty counties.
• Those living in rural counties than those in urban counties. 

The U.S. has made considerable progress over the past 50 years to reduce infant mortality rates. However, the U.S. must do more to eliminate disparities and ensure continued progress. It is vital to implement a variety of strategies to reduce infant mortality, including:

• Reducing the risk of congenital abnormalities by encouraging pregnant people to take folic acid and abstain from alcohol, cigarettes and illicit drugs.
• Sponsoring further research on ways to reduce low birth weight and preterm births.
• Ensuring that pregnant people have access to adequate prenatal care.
• Creating a safe sleep environment to reduce the risk of SIDS. The American Academy of Pediatrics provides detailed guidelines on eliminating sleep hazards for your baby.
• Using newborn screening to detect conditions that may not be noticeable at birth.

Additionally, increasing the minimum wage is associated with a reduction in low birth weight births and infant deaths.

Healthy People 2030 has an objective to reduce infant mortality. They also have several related objectives, including reducing preterm births and increasing the proportion of women who receive early and adequate prenatal care.

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