Racial Disparities in Infant Mortality Rates Persist Across the United States

A recent report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)’s National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) shows that despite an overall decrease in the national infant mortality rate, racial disparities in infant mortality rates persist in the United States.

The report involved data from the National Vital Statistics System, including birth and death certificates from 2013 through 2015 for infants under 1 year old. “We did something a little bit different this time, and that was to look at the state rates by race and ethnicity,” said T.J. Mathews, lead author of the report and a demographer at NCHS.

Key Findings from the Report

  • In 2013–2015, the infant mortality rate by state ranged from 4.28 per 1,000 live births in Massachusetts to 9.08 in Mississippi.
  • Among the 50 states and the District of Columbia (D.C.), the mortality rate for infants of non-Hispanic white women ranged from 2.52 in D.C. to 7.04 in Arkansas.
  • For infants of non-Hispanic black women, the mortality rate ranged from 8.27 in Massachusetts to 14.28 in Wisconsin.
  • The mortality rate for infants of Hispanic women ranged from 3.94 in Iowa to 7.28 in Michigan.

Key Findings for Louisiana

  • In Louisiana, the statewide infant mortality rate was 7.92 per 1,000 live births from 2013-2015.
  • The mortality rate of infants born to non-Hispanic black women was double the mortality rate of infants born to non-Hispanic white women (11.66 vs. 5.73 deaths per 1,000 live births).
  • The mortality rate of infants born to Hispanic women in Louisiana was slightly lower than the mortality rate of infants born to non-Hispanic white women (4.62 vs. 5.73 deaths per 1,000 live births). The infant mortality rate for infants of non-Hispanic black women was 2.5 times higher than the rate for infants of Hispanic women.

A detailed summary of findings on racial and ethnic disparities in infant mortality across the nation is available at CNN.com. The full NCHS report is available on the CDC’s website. For more statistics and findings related to infant and child mortality in Louisiana, download the latest Louisiana Child Death Review Report (2013-2015).

February 8, 2018