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Objectives: This report presents final 2022 infant mortality statistics by age at death, maternal race and Hispanic origin, maternal age, gestational age, leading causes of death, and maternal state of residence. Trends in infant mortality are also examined., Methods: Descriptive tabulations of data are presented and interpreted for infant deaths and infant mortality rates using the 2022 period linked birth/infant death file. The linked birth/infant death file is based on birth and death certificates registered in all 50 states and the District of Columbia., Results: A total of 20,577 infant deaths were reported in the United States in 2022, up 3% from 2021. The U.S. infant mortality rate was 5.61 infant deaths per 1,000 live births, a 3% increase from the rate of 5.44 in 2021. The neonatal mortality rate increased 3% from 3.49 in 2021 to 3.59 in 2022, and the postneonatal mortality rate increased 4% from 1.95 to 2.02. The overall infant mortality rate increased for infants of American Indian and Alaska Native non-Hispanic, White non-Hispanic, and Dominican women in 2022 compared with 2021; changes in rates for the other race and Hispanic-origin groups were not significant. Infants of Black non-Hispanic women had the highest mortality rate (10.90) in 2022, followed by infants of American Indian and Alaska Native non-Hispanic and Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander non-Hispanic (9.06 and 8.50, respectively), Hispanic (4.89), White non-Hispanic (4.52), and Asian non-Hispanic (3.51) women. Mortality rates increased from 2021 to 2022 among preterm (less than 37 weeks of gestation) infants (33.59 to 34.78) and for infants born term (37 to 41 weeks of gestation) (2.08 to 2.18). The five leading causes of infant death in 2022 were the same as in 2021. Infant mortality rates by state for 2022 ranged from a low of 3.32 in Massachusetts to a high of 9.11 in Mississippi.

Objectives- This report presents infant mortality rates for selected maternal characteristics (prepregnancy body mass index, cigarette smoking during pregnancy, receipt of Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) benefits during pregnancy, timing of prenatal care, and source of payment for delivery) for the five largest maternal race and Hispanic-origin groups in the United States for combined years 2019-2021. Methods-Descriptive tabulations based on data from the linked birth/infant death files for 2019-2021 are presented. The linked birth/infant death file is based on birth and death certificates registered in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Infant mortality rates are presented for each maternal race and Hispanic-origin group overall and by selected characteristics. Results-Infant mortality rates varied across the five largest maternal race and Hispanic-origin groups and by selected maternal characteristics. For most race and Hispanic-origin groups, mortality rates were higher among infants of women with prepregnancy obesity compared with those of women who were normal weight, and were higher for infants of women who smoked cigarettes during pregnancy, received late or no prenatal care, or were covered by Medicaid as the source of payment for delivery. Overall, mortality rates were higher for infants of women who received WIC during pregnancy, but results varied across race and Hispanic-origin groups. Mortality rates for the maternal characteristics examined were generally highest among infants of Black non-Hispanic and American Indian and Alaska Native non-Hispanic women and lowest for Asian non-Hispanic women., (All material appearing in this report is in the public domain and may be reproduced or copied without permission; citation as to source, however, is appreciated.)

Objective-This report presents 2021 infant mortality statistics by age at death, maternal race and Hispanic origin, maternal age, gestational age, leading causes of death, and maternal state of residence. Trends in infant mortality are also examined. Methods-Descriptive tabulations of data are presented and interpreted for infant deaths and infant mortality rates using the 2021 period linked birth/infant death file. The linked birth/infant death file is based on birth and death certificates registered in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Results-A total of 19,928 infant deaths were reported in the United States in 2021, up 2% from 2020. The U.S. infant mortality rate was 5.44 infant deaths per 1,000 live births, essentially unchanged from the rate of 5.42 in 2020. The neonatal mortality rate was essentially unchanged from 3.56 in 2020 to 3.49 in 2021, but the postneonatal mortality rate increased from 1.86 to 1.95. The overall infant mortality rate increased for infants of Asian non-Hispanic women and declined for infants of Dominican women in 2021 compared with 2020; changes in rates for the other race and Hispanic-origin groups were not significant. Infants of Black non-Hispanic women had the highest mortality rate (10.55) in 2021, followed by infants of Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander non-Hispanic and American Indian or Alaska Native non-Hispanic (7.76 and 7.46, respectively), Hispanic (4.79), White non-Hispanic (4.36), and Asian non-Hispanic (3.69) women. By gestational age, infants born very preterm (less than 28 weeks of gestation) had the highest mortality rate (353.76), 170 times as high as that for infants born at term (37-41 weeks of gestation) (2.08). The five leading causes of infant death in 2021 were the same as in 2020. Infant mortality rates by state for 2021 ranged from a low of 2.77 in North Dakota to a high of 9.39 in Mississippi., (All material appearing in this report is in the public domain and may be reproduced or copied without permission; citation as to source, however, is appreciated.)

Background and Objectives: Although mortality rates are highest for infants of teens aged 15 to 19, no studies have examined the long-term trends by race and ethnicity, urbanicity, or maternal age. The objectives of this study were to examine trends and differences in mortality for infants of teens by race and ethnicity and urbanicity from 1996 to 2019 and estimate the contribution of changes in the maternal age distribution and maternal age-specific (infant) mortality rates (ASMRs) to differences in infant deaths in 1996 and 2019., Methods: We used 1996 to 2019 period-linked birth and infant death data from the United States to assess biennial mortality rates per 1000 live births. Pairwise comparisons of rates were conducted using z test statistics and Joinpoint Regression was used to examine trends. Kitagawa decomposition analysis was used to estimate the proportion of change in infant deaths because of changes in the maternal age distribution and ASMRs., Results: From 1996 to 2019, the mortality rate for infants of teens declined 16.7%, from 10.30 deaths per 1000 live births to 8.58. The decline was significant across racial and ethnic and urbanization subgroups; however, within rural counties, mortality rates did not change significantly for infants of Black or Hispanic teens. Changes in ASMRs accounted for 93.3% of the difference between 1996 and 2019 infant mortality rates, whereas changes in the maternal age distribution accounted for 6.7%., Conclusions: Additional research into the contextual factors in rural counties that are driving the lack of progress for infants of Black and Hispanic teens may help inform efforts to advance health equity., (Copyright © 2023 by the American Academy of Pediatrics.)

Disparities in infant mortality by race and Hispanic origin groups continue to persist in the United States. Maternal and infant characteristics known to be associated with infant mortality vary by race and ethnicity. This report describes racial and ethnic disparities in infant mortality in the United States using the 2017-2018 cohort linked birth/infant death files from the National Vital Statistics System. Distributions of births and infant mortality rates are described by selected maternal and infant characteristics. Adjusted rates and rate ratios from logistic regression models, compared to unadjusted rates and ratios, show the extent to which race and Hispanic origin disparities would be attenuated if all groups had the same distributions of select maternal and infant factors. Results support the premise that the different distributions of several variables across racial/ethnic groups, most notably gestational age, account for a significant portion of the disparities in infant mortality between racial/ethnic groups., Competing Interests: Disclosure The authors report no proprietary or commercial interest in any concept discussed in this article., (Published by Elsevier Inc.)

Objectives-This report presents 2020 infant mortality statistics by age at death, maternal race and Hispanic origin, maternal age, gestational age, leading causes of death, and maternal state of residence. Trends in infant mortality are also examined., (All material appearing in this report is in the public domain and may be reproduced or copied without permission; citation as to source, however, is appreciated.)

Objectives-This report presents 2019 infant mortality statistics by age at death, maternal race and Hispanic origin, maternal age, gestational age, leading causes of death, and maternal state of residence. Trends in infant mortality are also examined., (All material appearing in this report is in the public domain and may be reproduced or copied without permission; citation as to source, however, is appreciated.)

Objectives-This report presents 2018 infant mortality statistics by age at death, maternal race and Hispanic origin, maternal age, gestational age, leading causes of death, and maternal state of residence. Trends in infant mortality are also examined. Methods-Descriptive tabulations of data are presented and interpreted for infant deaths and infant mortality rates using the 2018 period linked birth/infant death file; the linked birth/infant death file is based on birth and death certificates registered in all states and the District of Columbia. Results-A total of 21,498 infant deaths were reported in the United States in 2018. The U.S. infant mortality rate was 5.67 infant deaths per 1,000 live births, lower than the rate of 5.79 in 2017 and an historic low in the country. The neonatal and post neonatal mortality rates for 2018 (3.78 and 1.89, respectively) demonstrated a nonsignificant decline compared with 2017 (3.85 and 1.94, respectively). The 2018 mortality rate declined for infants of Hispanic women compared with the 2017 rate; changes in rates for other race and Hispanic-origin groups were not statistically significant. The 2018 infant mortality rate for infants of non-Hispanic black women (10.75) was more than twice as high as that for infants of non-Hispanic white (4.63), non-Hispanic Asian (3.63), and Hispanic women (4.86). Infants born very preterm (less than 28 weeks of gestation) had the highest mortality rate (382.20), 186 times as high as that for infants born at term (37-41 weeks of gestation) (2.05). The five leading causes of infant death in 2018 were the same as in 2017; cause-of-death rankings and mortality rates varied by maternal race and Hispanic origin. Infant mortality rates by state for 2018 ranged from a low of 3.50 in New Hampshire to a high of 8.41 in Mississippi., (All material appearing in this report is in the public domain and may be reproduced or copied without permission; citation as to source, however, is appreciated.)

When compared with births among women aged 20 and over, teen pregnancies result in higher rates of neonatal and infant mortality, preterm birth, low birthweight, and maternal complications (1,2). Despite the declining birth rate for teenagers aged 15-19 since 1991, differences continue to occur in the mortality of infants born to teenagers by race and ethnicity and cause of death (1,3). This report examines 2017-2018 linked birth/infant death data from the National Vital Statistics System to describe the recent pattern in racial and ethnic differences in mortality and the leading causes of death for infants born to teen mothers aged 15-19., (All material appearing in this report is in the public domain and may be reproduced or copied without permission; citation as to source, however, is appreciated.)

Objectives-This report assesses the contributions of the changing maternal age distribution and maternal age-specific infant mortality rates on overall and race and Hispanic origin-specific infant mortality rates in the United States from 2000 to 2017. Methods-The analyses used 2000-2017 linked birth and infant death data from the National Vital Statistics System. Age-adjusted infant mortality rates, based on the 2000 U.S. maternal age distribution, were calculated for each year. These rates were compared with crude rates for all births and for specific race and Hispanic-origin groups. Decomposition analysis was used to estimate the proportion of the decline due to changes in maternal age distribution and in age-specific mortality rates. Results-During 2000-2017, the age of women giving birth rose as infant mortality rates declined, although unevenly across maternal age groups. The maternal age-adjusted infant mortality rate in 2017 was 6.13 compared with the crude rate of 5.79, resulting in a 0.34 percentage point difference. Changes in the maternal age distribution accounted for 31.3% of the decline in infant mortality rates for all births and for births to non-Hispanic white women, and for 4.8% of the decline in births to non-Hispanic black women. Declines in age-specific mortality rates accounted for the remainder of the decline for these groups and for all of the decline in births to Hispanic women. Conclusion-Changes in the age distribution of women giving birth accounted for about one-third of the decline in infant mortality rates from 2000 through 2017; declines in maternal age-specific mortality rates accounted for about two-thirds of this decline. These patterns varied by race and Hispanic origin., (All material appearing in this report is in the public domain and may be reproduced or copied without permission; citation as to source, however, is appreciated.)

Objectives-This report presents 2017 infant mortality statistics by age at death, maternal race and Hispanic origin, maternal age, maternal state of residence, gestational age, and leading causes of death. Trends in infant mortality are also examined. Methods-Descriptive tabulations of data are presented and interpreted for infant deaths and infant mortality rates using the 2017 period linked birth/infant death file; the linked birth/infant death file is based on birth and death certificates registered in all states and the District of Columbia. Results-A total of 22,341 infant deaths were reported in the United States in 2017. The U.S. infant mortality rate was 5.79 infant deaths per 1,000 live births, not statistically different from the rate of 5.87 in 2016. The neonatal and postneonatal mortality rates for 2017 (3.85 and 1.94, respectively) were also essentially unchanged from 2016. The 2017 infant mortality rate for infants of non-Hispanic black women (10.97) was more than twice as high as that for infants of non-Hispanic white (4.67), non-Hispanic Asian (3.78), and Hispanic (5.10) women. Infant mortality rates by state for 2017 ranged from a low of 3.66 in Massachusetts to a high of 8.73 in Mississippi. Infants born very preterm (less than 28 weeks of gestation) had the highest mortality rate (384.39), 183 times as high as that for infants born at term (37-41 weeks of gestation) (2.10). The five leading causes of infant death in 2017 were the same as in 2016; cause of death rankings and mortality rates varied by maternal race and Hispanic origin. Preterm-related causes of death accounted for 34% of the 2017 infant deaths, unchanged from 2016., (All material appearing in this report is in the public domain and may be reproduced or copied without permission; citation as to source, however, is appreciated.)

Infant mortality is an important public health measure in the United States and other countries (1-3). The United States' infant mortality rate started to decline in 2007 (the most recent high), but has remained relatively unchanged in recent years (4,5). Previous research shows differences in infant mortality rates by age at death (i.e., neonatal, or deaths to infants aged 0-27 days, and postneonatal, or deaths to infants aged 28-364 days), age and race and Hispanic origin of the mother, and leading causes of death (4-6). This report examines infant mortality rates for the United States by age at death in 2016, by maternal age and race and Hispanic origin, and for the five leading causes of neonatal and postneonatal mortality., (All material appearing in this report is in the public domain and may be reproduced or copied without permission; citation as to source, however, is appreciated.)

Infant mortality has long been a basic measure of public health for countries around the world (1–3). While the overall infant mortality rate in the United States is lower than a decade ago, declining 14% from 6.86 infant deaths per 1,000 live births in 2005, a recent high, to 5.90 in 2015, the rate in 2015 was not statistically different from that in 2014 (5.82) (4–6). The variability in infant mortality rates by state and by race and Hispanic origin continues to receive attention (7,8). This report uses linked birth and infant death data from 2013 through 2015 to describe infant mortality rates in the United States by state, and for race and Hispanic-origin groups by state., (All material appearing in this report is in the public domain and may be reproduced or copied without permission; citation as to source, however, is appreciated.)

The infant mortality rate is often used as a measure of a country’s health because similar factors influence population health and infant mortality (1). Although infant mortality has declined in the United States, disparities still exist across geographic areas and demographic groups (2–4). Urbanization level, based on the number and concentration of people in a county, can impact health outcomes (3–9). Previous research indicates that infant mortality rates vary by urbanization level and also by maternal and infant characteristics (3–9). This report describes differences in infant mortality among rural, small and medium urban, and large urban counties in the United States by infant’s age at death, mother’s age, and race and Hispanic origin in 2014., (All material appearing in this report is in the public domain and may be reproduced or copied without permission; citation as to source, however, is appreciated.)

Key Findings: Infant mortality is considered a basic measure of public health for countries around the world (1-3). Over the past decade, the overall infant mortality rate in the United States has improved, declining 15% from 6.86 infant deaths per 1,000 live births in 2005-a recent high-to 5.82 in 2014 (4). Over the years, many efforts have been made to understand and lower infant mortality (4,5). This report examines the 2014 linked birth/infant death data from the National Vital Statistics System (NVSS) to describe trends in infant mortality in the United States by race and Hispanic origin, state, and leading causes of infant deaths from 2005 through 2014., (All material appearing in this report is in the public domain and may be reproduced or copied without permission; citation as to source, however, is appreciated.)