U.S. infant mortality rate lower than ever in 2012

The national infant mortality rate fell to a record low in 2012, according to a report from the National Center for Health Statistics.

Overall mortality for children aged less than 1 year was 597.8 deaths/100,000 births in 2012, down 1.5% from 2011’s 606.7/100,000 births and the lowest rate ever recorded, the NCHS said.

[DW] 10 leading causes of infant death in 2011 and 2012

Among the 10 leading causes of infant mortality, the rate decreased slightly for congenital malformations from 126.8/100,000 births in 2011 to 12/100,000 births in 2012, while the rate for low birth weight increased slightly from 2011 to 2012, rising from 103.9/100,000 births to 106.3/100,000 births. With a decrease of 12%, the mortality rate for sudden infant death syndrome had the only significant change, falling from 48.3/100,000 births to 42.5/100,000 births, the NCHS reported. All leading causes of death remained the same from 2011 to 2012.

In total, there were 23,629 infant deaths in 2012, 356 fewer than in 2011, with the 10 leading causes accounting for about 70% of infant deaths, according to data collected by the National Vital Statistics System.

lfranki@frontlinemedcom.com