The Top-Ten Causes Of Death In Infants In The U.S.
The good news is the infant mortality rate in the United States went down 2.9% from the previous year in the most recentreportby the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC). The bad news is that the U.S. infant mortality rate is far worse than the rest of the developed world, despite our country’s vast wealth and resources.
One reason for the high rate could be a problem with the way the U.S. supports neonatal health, asseveralof the CDC’s top-ten causes of infant death are associated withbirth injuries.
The 10 Leading Causes of Infant Death
Statistics from 2020
- Congenital malformations: 4,043
- Low birth weight: 3,141
- Sudden infant death syndrome: 1,389
- Unintentional injuries: 1,194
- Maternal complications: 1,116
- Cord and placental complications: 700
- Bacterial sepsis of newborn: 542
- Respiratory distress of newborn: 388
- Diseases of the circulatory system: 386
- Neonatal hemorrhage: 317
The infant mortality rate is a healthcare statistic that refers to the number of infant deaths per 1,000 live births (infant refers to children less than one year old). The infant mortality rate in the United States was 5.44 per 1,000 in 2020,which ranks 50thamong the nearly 200 countries that were studied, ranking just behind Antigua & Barbuda (5.38). Iceland was the best at 1.54, and Sierra Leone was the worst at 80.1. In 2020, the most recent year for which we have statistics, there were atotalof 19,582 infant deaths in the U.S.
Preventable Deaths Related to Childbirth
If a member of your family experienced the loss of a child related to childbirth, and you suspect hospital negligence, you need a law firm with experience in birth injuries and taking on large hospitals and insurance companies. ContactBrown & Barron, LLCtoday at(410) 547-0202to schedule a free consultation with our team.