Infant Mortality

Indicator Definition
The number of infant deaths (under one year of age) per 1,000 live births.

Infant mortality in Colorado4

Infant mortality by race in Colorado5

Indicator Significance
The infant mortality rate is widely used as an indicator of population health and illuminates how socioeconomic conditions can influence both infant and maternal health. About two-thirds of infant deaths in the United States occur during the first month of life, and are due primarily to premature delivery or other complications of childbirth.

Advances in prenatal and neonatal care have resulted in dramatic decreases in infant mortality. One hundred years ago, 10 percent of infants died in the first year of life compared to less than 1 percent today. Nevertheless, the U.S. infant mortality rate lags behind most industrialized countries. In 2004, the infant mortality rate in Japan was 3.3 per 1,000 compared to 6.8 per 1,000 in the United States. Also in 2004, black and American Indian/Alaska Native populations had significantly higher infant mortality rates (13.6 and 8.4) than white (5.7) and Hispanic populations (5.5).¹

Colorado Specifics
Colorado ranked 18^th among the states in 2005 with an infant mortality rate of 6.4 per 1,000. This was slightly below the national average (6.9) but substantially above the best performing state, Utah (4.5 per 1,000 live births). Over the past seven years Colorado’s infant mortality rate has stayed relatively constant, ranging between 5.7 and 6.4 deaths per 1,000 live births. The rate is lowest among Asians (3.7 per 1,000) and highest among blacks (12.4 per 1,000).

Promising Initiatives
In Colorado
The Aurora/Arapahoe Healthy Start Initiative targets families in six zip codes with high infant mortality rates. This initiative provides participants access to comprehensive prenatal, postpartum, infant and child care as needed. The goal is to reduce infant mortality through a community-based, targeted outreach and service model that improves access to services for minority families with high rates of poverty.²

Elsewhere
Illinois experienced an all-time low rate of infant mortality in 2002 and the rate has continued to drop. Yet infant mortality among the African-American population continues to increase. A new program, Closing the Gap on Infant Mortality, was launched in 2006 to address the disparities in health and health care plaguing African-Americans and their babies. Closing the Gap targets four districts with the highest rates of pre-term births and sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) in the state. Through advertisements strategically placed at bus stops and train stations, Closing the Gap is spreading the message of early and regular prenatal care. It also trains community members to act as peer educators by leading presentations and discussions around issues related to infant mortality. By using community members, the program is more able to provide culturally appropriate messages.³

Infant mortality⁶

Text

1. Forum on Child and Family Statistics.
   
2. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Maternal and Child Health Bureau. “Aurora/Arapahoe Healthy Start Initiative”; 2003.
   
3. March of Dimes, Illinois Chapter. “Closing the Gap on Infant Mortality”; 2008.
   

Charts

4. Source: Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, Vital Statistics, 2000 - 2006.
   
5. Source: Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, Vital Statistics, 2006.
   
6. Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Vital Statistics System, 2005.