Defined as deaths of liveborn infants in the first year of life.
Maternal age has a U-shaped relationship with mortality among infants.
Highest mortality among twins occur to women delivering in their teens and early 20’s.
Among twin gestations declines with advancing maternal age.
About 7 infant deaths per 1000 live births in the U.S. in 2005.
In 2005 infant mortality rate among minorities per 1000 live births among non-Hispanic black women and 5.76 per 1000 live births among non Hispanic white women.
About 8 deaths per 1000 live births among Puerto Rican women and American Indian women.
2014 infant mortality rate 582 deaths per 100,000 live births and equals to 23,215 deaths, a 2.3% decrease from 2013 rate.
In 2016 infant mortality rate US was 5.9 per 1000, which ranked 33rd compared to the other countries in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development
The above was the lowest recorded US infant mortality rate.
Infant mortality rate in Finland and Iceland in 2013 was 180 deaths per 100,000 births.
US preterm birth rate is among the highest among developed countries and preterm birth drives infant mortality.
Congenital deformities are the leading cause of infant mortality.
Many other causes of infant mortality are associated with preterm birth, including low birth weight, maternal complications such as premature membrane rupture, sudden infant death syndrome, bacterial sepsis, respiratory distress, and neonatal hemorrhage, including intraventricular hemorrhage.