Infant Mortality by Selected Maternal Characteristics and Race and Hispanic Origin in the United States, 2019-2021

Objectives- This report presents infant mortality rates for selected maternal characteristics (prepregnancy body mass index, cigarette smoking during pregnancy, receipt of Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) benefits during pregnancy, timing of prenatal care, and source of payment for delivery) for the five largest maternal race and Hispanic-origin groups in the United States for combined years 2019-2021. Methods-Descriptive tabulations based on data from the linked birth/infant death files for 2019-2021 are presented. The linked birth/infant death file is based on birth and death certificates registered in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Infant mortality rates are presented for each maternal race and Hispanic-origin group overall and by selected characteristics. Results-Infant mortality rates varied across the five largest maternal race and Hispanic-origin groups and by selected maternal characteristics. For most race and Hispanic-origin groups, mortality rates were higher among infants of women with prepregnancy obesity compared with those of women who were normal weight, and were higher for infants of women who smoked cigarettes during pregnancy, received late or no prenatal care, or were covered by Medicaid as the source of payment for delivery. Overall, mortality rates were higher for infants of women who received WIC during pregnancy, but results varied across race and Hispanic-origin groups. Mortality rates for the maternal characteristics examined were generally highest among infants of Black non-Hispanic and American Indian and Alaska Native non-Hispanic women and lowest for Asian non-Hispanic women.