The Latest CDC Data
Since the majority of infants die within their first year of life, we compute the neonatal mortality rate, which is the death of children within the first days of their existence. In turn, neonatal mortality is classified as early or late. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), infant mortality in the United States has reached record lows (CDC, 2022).
In 2018, there were 21,498 such fatalities nationally, a 4% decrease from 2017, while the total national rate fell 2% to 5.67 deaths per 1,000 live births(CDC, 2022). According to CDC experts, they are the lowest newborn death rates in US history, with a decreasing trend since 1995 and a reduction of 17% since 2005 (CDC, 2022). However, the death rate for black newborns is substantially greater than for Hispanic and white infants.
In 2018, children delivered to mothers under the age of 20 had the highest death rate. Premature infants accounted for 66% of all deaths (CDC, 2022). Mississippi had the highest infant death rate, while New Hampshire had the lowest. Ten states had rates that were significantly lower than the national average, while 16 states had substantially higher rates (CDC, 2022). Infant mortality rates are used to characterize child mortality, which includes neonatal mortality, postneonatal mortality, perinatal mortality, under-5 mortality, and deaths in children aged one to fifteen years.
The 5 States with the Highest Infant Mortality Rates
As a result of analyzing the data, the statistics may be presented as follows:
- Mississippi has a child mortality rate of 8.12, which equates to 288 fatalities.
- Louisiana has an infant mortality rate of 7.59, resulting in 435 fatalities.
- Arkansas has a 7.38 infant mortality rate, which equates to 260 fatalities.
- West Virginia has a 7.33 infant mortality rate, resulting in 127 fatalities.
- South Dakota has an infant mortality rate of 7.30, resulting in 80 fatalities (CDC, 2022).
Factors Associated with IMR
The availability and accessibility of maternal and child health services have a significant impact on infant mortality rates. Since medical treatment is more easily available in cities than in rural regions, infant mortality rates differ between the two. Furthermore, the degree of family wealth, the age at which women marry, their employment, and other socioeconomic variables all have an impact on the infant mortality rate.
Analysis of the Study’s Health Implications and Applications
As a result, infant mortality is one of the demographic characteristics that most clearly reflects the country’s level of development, as well as the economic and social changes occurring. This knowledge can be applied to draw attention to the problem. That is why one of society’s main tasks is reducing infant mortality. Research in this area determines that low infant mortality and the state’s efforts to reduce it are indicators of the country’s development, its response to changes in economic policy, the distribution of material goods, the level of social and cultural development of society, the level of social protection of the population, and, ultimately, the level of democratic transformation.
Simultaneously, the indicator of newborn mortality corresponds to the quality, volume, and accessibility of medical treatment for women and children. The level, dynamics, and structure of the causes of baby death can be used to analyze the performance of healthcare authorities (Shobande, 2020). State support significantly reduces infant mortality by providing high-quality treatment and diagnostic equipment, specialized transportation, financing of accessible and qualified medical care, even in remote regions, and support for families.
References
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2022). Infant mortality. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Shobande, O. A. (2020). The effects of energy use on infant mortality rates in Africa. Environmental and Sustainability Indicators, 5, 100015.