Infant Mortality and American Indians/Alaska Natives

Infant mortality refers to the death of a baby between 1 day and 1 year old. Deaths that happen before a baby is 28 days old are also called neonatal deaths. Babies can die for many reasons, such as birth defects, infections, or accidents. It is important to understand the difference between causes and contributors to infant mortality. A cause is what directly leads to a baby’s death. A contributor is something that increases the risk of death but does not directly cause it. While many leading causes of infant death cannot be fully prevented, parents and caregivers can lower a baby’s risk by making healthy choices and getting care before and during pregnancy.

  • In 2023, the mortality rate for American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) infants was 64% higher than infants nationwide.
  • In 2023, AI/AN infants were more than twice as likely to die from sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) compared with infants in the U.S. overall.
  • In 2023, AI/AN mothers were 80% more likely than mothers nationwide to start prenatal care late or receive no prenatal care at all.

Additional Resources

MedlinePlus

Health Resources & Services Administration

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Indian Health Service

Related Data

Further Reading

Occurrence

Infant mortality, rate per 1,000 live births, 2023
AI/AN*Total PopulationRatio (AI/AN* / Total)
9.25.61.64
Source: U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics. (2025). Infant mortality in the United States, 2023 (National Vital Statistics Report, Vol. 74, No. 7, Table 2). U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Infant mortality by age of mother, rate per 1,000 live births, 2023
Age of MotherAI/AN*Total PopulationRatio (AI/AN* / Total)
15-19 years12.010.41.14
20–24 years11.07.21.52
25–29 years7.95.21.51
30–34 years8.54.61.86
35–39 years6.84.91.38
40-54 yearsNot Reported6.8Not Reported
Source: U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics. (2025). Infant mortality in the United States, 2023 (National Vital Statistics Report, Vol. 74, No. 7, Table 2). U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Leading Causes of Death

Infant mortality rate for the top 5 leading causes of death for American Indians/Alaska Natives, rate per 100,000 live births, 2023
Cause of DeathAI/AN*Total PopulationRatio (AI/AN* / Total)
Low Birthweight93.681.41.15
Congenital Malformations134.3112.11.20
Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS)97.740.22.43
Accidents (unintentional injuries)85.535.82.39
Maternal complications of pregnancy52.931.91.66
Source: U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics. (2025). Infant mortality in the United States, 2023 (National Vital Statistics Report, Vol. 74, No. 7, Table 4). U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Risk Factors for Complications

Mother received late or no prenatal care, percentage, 2023
AI/AN*Total PopulationRatio (AI/AN* / Total)
12.67.01.80
Source:U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics. (2025). Births: Final data for 2023 (National Vital Statistics Report, Vol. 74, No. 1, Table 13). U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Mother smoked during pregnancy, percentage, 2023
AI/AN*Total PopulationRatio (AI/AN* / Total)
9.63.03.20
Source:U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics. (2025). Births: Final data for 2023 (National Vital Statistics Report, Vol. 74, No. 1, Table 13). U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

*Population is non-Hispanic in the data source.


Date Last Reviewed: January 2026