Disparities in US Infant Mortality Rates Persist

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - One goal of the Healthy People 2010 initiative is to reduce the overall infant mortality rate in the U.S. to 4.5 infant deaths per 1000 live births. While whites and Asian/Pacific Islanders have achieved this goal in some states, non-Hispanic blacks, Hispanics, and American Indian/Alaska Natives have not, according to data reported in the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

Dr. K. G. Keppel at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and T. J. Mathews at the Division of Vital Statistics analyzed data from the National Vital Statistics System and data maintained by the CDC's National Center for Health Statistics for the period 1995 to 2002.

Overall, the infant mortality rate in the U.S. declined from 7.6 infant deaths per 1,000 live births in 1995 to 6.8 in 2001, and then increased to 7.0 in 2002.

The data show that during this period, the infant mortality rate for American Indian/Alaska Natives averaged 9.1 per 1000 live births, while the corresponding rate for non-Hispanic blacks was 13.9 per 1000.

Rates for Asian/Pacific Islanders, Hispanics, and non-Hispanic Whites were 5.0, 5.8 and 5.9 per 1000 live births, respectively. There was little fluctuation in relative differences among the groups over time.

In an editorial note, CDC officials suggest that factors that should be considered to eliminate disparities among racial/ethnic populations may include "infant age at death, cause of death, mother's age and health, multiple births, low birthweight, premature births, assisted reproductive technology, prenatal visits, and access to health-care services."

They add that a task force was set up in 2004 "to help identify root causes of high infant mortality rates and develop new strategies for reducing infant mortality rates."

Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, June 10, 2005.