Infant Mortality by Age at Death in the United States, 2016

Infant mortality is an important public health measure in the United States and other countries (1-3). The United States' infant mortality rate started to decline in 2007 (the most recent high), but has remained relatively unchanged in recent years (4,5). Previous research shows differences in infant mortality rates by age at death (i.e., neonatal, or deaths to infants aged 0-27 days, and postneonatal, or deaths to infants aged 28-364 days), age and race and Hispanic origin of the mother, and leading causes of death (4-6). This report examines infant mortality rates for the United States by age at death in 2016, by maternal age and race and Hispanic origin, and for the five leading causes of neonatal and postneonatal mortality.