The death rate in the United States fell from 6.2 per 1,000 births in 2010 to 5.7 per 1,000 births in 2017, and there are significant disparities that involve many factors, including access to care and demographics.
Of the leading causes of infant death in this country, the top 10 account for approximately two-thirds of all fatalities, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Some defects, such as cleft palate, can be easily fixed with surgery. Others, such as Down syndrome, spina bifida, or congenital heart defects, may require lifelong care. And some congenital defects are so severe that a child is unable to survive.
In 2019, 4,301 infants died of a congenital defect, accounting for 20.6% of all infant mortalities.
Premature babies often have trouble fighting infection because their immune systems aren’t yet fully formed. This can lead to an increased risk of pneumonia, sepsis (a blood infection), and meningitis (infection of the membrane around the brain and spinal cord).
Low birth weight can increase the risk of death due to immature organ development, particularly increasing the risk of respiratory distress or intraventricular hemorrhage, which is bleeding in and around the ventricles or the fluid-filled spaces of the brain.
In 2019, 3,445 infants died as a result of preterm birth or low birth weight, accounting for 16.5% of all infant mortalities.
Suffocation primarily affects babies under one year of age and accounts for two-thirds of all infant injury deaths. When compared to all other age groups, infants are at a 16-fold greater risk of accidental suffocation.
Drowning typically involves children between the ages of one and four.
In 2019, 1,226 infants died of unintentionally inflicted injuries, accounting for 6.1% of all infant deaths.
In 2019, 1,248 infants died as a result of SIDS, or 6.0% of all infant deaths.
These may include:
Preeclampsia: Potentially life-threatening high blood pressurePlacenta previa: Occurring when the placenta is situated low in the uterusIncompetent cervix: When a weak cervix increases the risk of preterm birth
In 2019, 1,245 infants, or 6.0% of all infant deaths, died as a direct result of maternal complications.
Sometimes, complications affecting the placenta or umbilical cord can cause infant death.
Complications that affect the placenta and may lead to infant death include:
Placental infarction: Areas of dead tissue that deprive the fetus of bloodPlacental insufficiency: The placenta doesn’t grow in a way that supports fetal development
Cord prolapse is a condition in which the umbilical cord drops out of the cervix and wraps around the baby. Nuchal cord occurs when the umbilical cord wraps around the baby’s neck.
Placenta and umbilical cord complications accounted for 742 infant deaths in 2019, or 3.5% of all fatalities.
Bacterial sepsis (603 deaths, 2. 9% of total) Respiratory distress (424 deaths, 2. 0%) Diseases of the circulatory system (406 deaths, 1. 9%) Necrotizing enterocolitis of the newborn (354 deaths, 1. 7%)
