The state of South Dakota's child: 2010

The year 2009 brought the second consecutive year of a decreased number of births, declining from the recent 2007 crest noted in the state and nationwide. This decrease could be an echo from the decline in births noted after the 1980 crest or could also reflect effects of the economic recession. The 2009 cohort of births included 21 percent of racial minority newborns that parallels national observations. A sharp decrease is noted in infant deaths in 2009 (for a rate of 6.7 per 1,000 population), returns its rate to a level comparable to previous years but slightly higher than the preliminary 2009 national rate of 6.3. Changing perceptions of hazards accompanying infant sleep may be affecting the designated causes given for sudden deaths of sleeping infants. Sudden unexplained infant death remains more frequent in South Dakota than nationwide.