Infant Morrtality Increases in the USA
This is a Poverty and Payment Problem
For the first time in two decades, the infant mortality rate in the U.S. has seen a significant rise, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). 1
The rate increased by 3% from 2021 to 2022, reversing a long-standing decline and raising alarms about maternal-infant health in the country. The U.S. infant mortality rate, currently double that of many developed countries, increased from 5.44 infant deaths per 1,000 births to 5.6 in 2022. 2
This rise coincides with an increasing death rate among women who give birth, indicating challenges in obtaining appropriate care. Health complications during pregnancy and sepsis are among the fastest-rising causes of infant death, the CDC reported.
These issues, particularly prevalent among women giving birth prematurely, may be connected to stressors such as the opioid crisis and the ongoing impact of the pandemic.
Experts suggest that the U.S. could improve its infant mortality rate by emulating other developed countries with lower rates. These countries often provide greater investment for mothers and babies, including routine home visits by health professionals.
The CDC's report also highlighted significant disparities in infant mortality rates among different racial and ethnic groups in the U.S. The rate for babies born to Black mothers, for example, was more than double that of white mothers.
The increase in infant mortality is a worrying trend and emphasizes the need for improved maternal-infant healthcare, sufficient investment, and supportive measures for expectant mothers in the U.S.
I have previously written on these pages how the RVU system from the AMA and the poor State and Federal funding for Medicaid is having a detrimental impact on the health of our society. In addition, it is time to expand The Child Tax Credit. 34
One would think that if there is a will among the political-policy class to increase spending for this program, we could also agree that improving investment in prenatal care, maternity wards, infant care, infant and children hospital wards, infant and children emergency care, infant access to a neighborhood pediatrician and children’s hospital.
Liz Essley Whythe first reported parts of this article at WSJ.5
https://blogs.cdc.gov/nchs/2023/11/01/7479/
https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/vsrr/vsrr033.pdf
https://delauro.house.gov/sites/evo-subsites/delauro.house.gov/files/evo-media-document/fact-sheet-american-family-act-of-2023.pdf
https://www.healthaffairs.org/do/10.1377/hpb20220119.943898/
https://www.wsj.com/health/the-death-rate-for-babies-in-america-rose-for-the-first-time-in-20-years-7a5429c5?reflink=desktopwebshare_permalink