Trends in infant mortality in United States: a brief study of the Southeastern states from 2005-2009.

Xiaojia He,Huey-Min Hwang,Winfred G Aker,Hafiz A Ahmad,Luma Akil

doi:10.3390/ijerph120504908

Xiaojia He, Huey-Min Hwang + Show 3 more

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https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph120504908

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Abstract

While overall infant mortality rates have declined over the past several decades, the Southeastern states have remained the leading states in high infant death in the United States. In this study, we studied the differences in infant mortality in the southeastern United States from 2005 through 2009 according to mother’s characteristics (age of mother, marital status, maternal race, maternal education), birth characteristics (month when maternal prenatal care began, birth weight), and infant’s characteristics (age of infant at death). This paper illustrates the significance level of each characteristic of mothers and infants, as well as socioeconomic factors that contribute to significant infant mortality that impacts subgroups within the US population. Descriptive statistics and analysis of variance studies were performed and presented. Statistical analysis of the contribution of causes of infant death to infant mortality at the national and state level was elaborated. Data suggest that mothers with no prenatal care had a very high overall infant death rate (5281.83 and 4262.16 deaths per 100,000 births in Mississippi and Louisiana, respectively, whereas the US average was 3074.82 deaths (p < 0.01)). It is suggested that better education and living quality should be available and improved for the residents in Alabama, Louisiana, and Mississippi.

Highlights

The significance of infant mortality as an important indicator of a nation's health status and well-being has been well documented in social and biomedical research
We used four main data categories encompassing nine statistical variables (Location: southeastern United States (US); cause of death; Mother’s Characteristics: age of mother, marital status, maternal race, maternal education; Birth Characteristics: month when maternal prenatal care began, birth weight; Infant's Characteristics: age of infant at death) for our analysis, all based on linked live birth–infant death cohort files
Six leading causes of death were revealed by the data analysis as shown in Table S2, and together they accounted for 57% of all infant deaths in the US in 2010, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) National Center for Health Statistics reports [8]

Summary

Introduction

The significance of infant mortality as an important indicator of a nation's health status and well-being has been well documented in social and biomedical research. The infant mortality rate decreased from 6300 deaths per 100,000 live births in 1990 to 3500 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2012 [1]. The infant mortality rate of the United States (US) declined from approximately 10,000 infant deaths per 100,000 live births in 1900, to 689 infant deaths per 100,000 live births in 2000 [2]. Infant mortality is associated with a variety of factors such as maternal health, socioeconomic conditions, and public health practices. The high US infant mortality has some association with and may be attributable in large part to disparities in socioeconomic status which in turn are associated with race and ethnicity. The long-term pattern of mortality in the US has shown inconsistency for socioeconomic and demographic subgroups of the population as well as causes of infant death

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