US Infant Mortality Rate Down 12 Percent Since 2005
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Comstock/Thinkstock(NEW YORK) — The infant mortality rate in the United States has dropped nearly 12 percent since 2005, according to a new study.
According to a press release from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the infant mortality rate dropped from 6.87 deaths per 1,000 live births in 2005 to 6.05 deaths per 1,000 live births in 2011. While statistics from 2011 were not significantly lower than 2010’s rate of 6.15 deaths per 1,000 live births, infant mortality has been on the decline for four consecutive years.
According to the CDC report, the rate among non-Hispanic black women decreased by 16 percent. The rate among non-Hispanic white women dropped by 12 percent, while the rate among Hispanic women dropped by 9 percent.
Historically, the infant mortality rate has been highest among non-Hispanic black women, making the 16-percent drop among that group even more significant.
The CDC report also found that four of the five most common causes of infant death were less common in 2011 than they were in 2005. The frequency of congenital malformations, short gestation, Sudden Infant Death Syndrome and material complications were between 6 percent and 20 percent lower than in 2005.
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