Contributors to excess infant mortality in the U.S. South.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Infant mortality rates (IMRs) are disproportionally high in the U.S. South; however, the proximate contributors that could inform regional action remain unclear.

Purpose

To quantify the components of excess infant mortality in the U.S. South by maternal race/ethnicity, underlying cause of death, and gestational age.

Methods

U.S. Period Linked Birth/Infant Death Data Files 2007-2009 (analyzed in 2013) were used to compare IMRs between the South (U.S. Public Health Regions IV and VI) and all other regions combined.

Results

Compared to other regions, there were 1.18 excess infant deaths per 1000 live births in the South, representing about 1600 excess infant deaths annually. New Mexico and Texas did not have elevated IMRs relative to other regions; exce

SUBMITTER: Hirai AH 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4545212 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature