Infant mortality statistics from the linked birth/infant death data set--1995 period data

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Biostatistics
• Epidemiology

Background:

• Infant mortality remains a critical public health concern, with significant disparities observed across various demographic groups.
• Understanding trends in infant mortality, particularly birthweight-specific rates, is crucial for developing targeted interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present infant mortality statistics for the 1995 period using linked birth and infant death data.
• To analyze trends in birthweight-specific infant mortality rates from 1985 to 1995.
• To examine infant mortality by maternal and infant characteristics, including race, ethnicity, maternal age, prenatal care, and infant birthweight.

Main Methods:

• Descriptive tabulations of data from the linked birth/infant death data set for 1995.
• Linking infant death records to corresponding birth certificates (births in 1995 or 1994).
• Using weighted data to account for unlinked infant death records and the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) natality file for denominators.

Main Results:

• Infant mortality rates were lowest for Asian/Pacific Islander mothers and highest for black mothers. Hispanic mothers generally had lower or comparable rates to white mothers, with Puerto Rican mothers showing higher rates.
• Higher infant mortality was associated with late or no prenatal care, teenage or older mothers, lower maternal education, unmarried mothers, and smoking during pregnancy.
• Infant mortality was higher for male infants, multiple births, preterm infants, and low birthweight infants. In 1995, 63% of infant deaths were low birthweight infants.
• Birthweight-specific infant mortality rates declined most rapidly for infants weighing 750-1,499 grams between 1985-1995.
• Leading causes of infant death varied by race/ethnicity; e.g., 'Disorders related to short gestation and unspecified low birthweight' was leading for black infants, while SIDS and accidents were higher for American Indian infants compared to white infants.

Conclusions:

• Significant disparities in infant mortality exist based on race, ethnicity, and socioeconomic factors.
• Low birthweight and preterm birth remain major contributors to infant mortality.
• Targeted public health strategies are needed to address the leading causes of infant death, which vary by demographic group.