CDC Grand Rounds: Public Health Approaches to Reducing U.S. Infant Mortality

Infant mortality is defined as the death of an infant before his or her first birthday. The infant mortality rate (IMR) measures this occurrence per 1,000 live births. In addition to being a key marker of maternal and child health, the IMR has been called the most sensitive indicator of overall societal health. In the United States, substantial progress has been made over the last 50 years in reducing the IMR; however, further reduction of preventable infant deaths remains a challenge. Based on preliminary data, the IMR in 2011 had declined to 6.05 overall, but that number obscures persistent racial and geographic disparities (Figure 1) (1). Non-Hispanic black infants continue to die at nearly twice the rate of non-Hispanic white infants. Additionally, preterm-related causes of death among black infants occur at a rate three times greater than that of white infants (2,3). Geographically, the majority of states in the top quartile for infant mortality are in the southern United States (Figure 2) (2).