Saving the Smallest: B'More for Healthy Babies reduces infant mortality rate in Baltimore
The infant mortality rate in the United States has fallen to a historic low, though the racial gap between white and black infant deaths remains high. Ohio continues to lag behind other states in improving its high infant mortality rate.
(Lisa DeJong, The Plain Dealer)
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The nation's infant mortality rate has dropped to a new low, falling by 15 percent between 2005 and 2014, according to data released today by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Ohio, though, has lagged behind other states in improving its high infant mortality rate over the same period, with less than a 12 percent drop over the same period.
Nationally, the infant mortality rate fell to 5.82 deaths per 1,000 live births in 2014 -- down from a high of 6.86 deaths per 1,000 live births in 2005, according to the CDC report. The rate is calculated based on the number of infant deaths before the first birthday.
"Overall this is good news, with the necessity for better news," said TJ Mathews, lead author of the report and a demographer with CDC. Though differences in measurement make it somewhat to compare the U.S. rate with other countries, Mathews said, "it's clear we're not doing as well -- some other countries have their rate below 3."
Percent change in infant mortality rate by state, United States, 2005-2007 to 2012-2014
Ohio's 2015 infant mortality rate was 7.2 per 1,000, or 1,005 infant deaths. That's about 24 percent higher than the national rate and up from 6.8 the year before.
Ohio has consistently fallen near the bottom of state rankings of infant mortality rates, which most health experts consider a basic measure of the well-being of a population.
Like the rest of the country, Ohio continues to struggle with a large racial gap in infant deaths. Nationally, the infant mortality rate fell from 2005 to 2014 across most racial groups. But the mortality rate for non-Hispanic black women, which fell by 20 percent during the period, was still more than double that for non-Hispanic white women.
In Ohio, the racial gap is even wider. In 2015, a black baby born in the state was about three times as likely to die before reaching a first birthday as a white baby. That's up from 2.3 in 2013 and 2.7 in 2014.
In 2015 in Ohio, the black infant mortality rate was 15.1, meaning more than 15 black babies per 1,000 live births died before age 1. The rate for white babies was 5.5, below the national average and the "Healthy People" goals set by the CDC.
Generally, states like Ohio with a large overall population and more births to non-hispanic black mothers tend to struggle more with infant mortality.
"Demographics is really pushing the total so much for these places," Mathews said.
The three main causes of infant deaths are the same nationwide as in Ohio, though in different order. Nationally, birth defects account for the majority of infant deaths, followed by prematurity and low-birth weight, then sudden infant deaths, or SIDS. In Ohio, premature and low birth weight deliveries account for the majority of infant losses, followed by sleep-related deaths and then birth defects.
U.S. Infant mortality rates for the five leading causes of infant death
Ohio recently became the second state after New Jersey to offer free cardboard "baby boxes" to send home with every child born in the state this year. A tradition in Finland since the 1930's, the boxes, which contain a thin mattress, double as portable infant sleep surfaces.
Mathews, who has been studying national infant mortality trends for decades, is encouraged to hear about efforts like these in states that have struggled to keep pace with the rest of the country.
"At the very least it's telling mothers and fathers 'we care'," he said. "That matters to people. It may take some time but it's important for people to be talking about it."