Infant Mortality and Black/African Americans

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 Black/African American infants was 95% higher than infants nationwide.
  • In 2023, Black/African American infants were about 2.5 times more likely (2.47 times) to die from problems related to being born too early or with low birth weight compared with infants in the U.S. overall.
  • In 2023, Black/African American mothers were 49% more likely than mothers nationwide to receive late or no prenatal care.

Additional Resources

MedlinePlus

Health Resources & Services Administration

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Related Data

Further Reading

Occurrence

Infant mortality, rate per 1,000 live births, 2023
Black*Total PopulationRatio (Black* / Total)
10.95.61.95
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 MotherBlack*Total PopulationRatio (Black* / Total)
15-19 years15.910.41.52
20–24 years12.87.21.77
25–29 years10.25.21.94
30–34 years9.74.62.11
35–39 years9.64.91.94
40–54 years11.76.81.73
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 Black or African Americans, rate per 100,000 live births, 2023
Cause of DeathBlack*Total PopulationRatio (Black* / Total)
Low Birthweight201.081.42.47
Congenital Malformations146.5112.11.31
Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS)94.440.22.35
Accidents (unintentional injuries)80.035.82.23
Maternal complications of pregnancy62.331.91.95
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
Black*Total PopulationRatio (Black* / Total)
10.47.01.49
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
Black*Total PopulationRatio (Black* / Total)
2.73.00.90
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