Infant mortality rate drops to lowest in state’s history in 2006, while record number of babies are born

RALEIGH — North Carolina’s 2006 infant mortality rate was 8.1 deaths per 1,000 live births in 2006, the lowest in the state’s history and an 8 percent drop from 8.8 in 2004 and 2005. At the same time, there was a record number of births in the state — 127,646 babies were born to North Carolina residents in 2006, nearly 4 percent more than in 2005.

The state’s minority infant mortality rate, which has shown declines for four of the past five years, dropped to an all-time low of 13.6 deaths per 1,000 live births in 2006. The white infant mortality rate declined in 2006 for the first time in four years to 6.0; the 2005 white rate was 6.4. In spite of the fact that the minority rate dropped 8.7 percent compared to a 6.3 percent drop in the white rate, racial disparities in infant mortality persist. Minorities continue to experience an infant mortality rate more than double that of the white population, an historical trend.

Of the 127,646 live births last year, 71,285 (nearly 56 percent) were white non-Hispanic; 29,626 (just over 23 percent) were black non-Hispanic; 21,202 (almost 17 percent) were Hispanic; 1,697 (a little more than 1 percent) were American Indian non-Hispanic; and 3,836 (3 percent) were other of races/ethnicities.

Approximately 17 percent of infant deaths were due to birth defects in 2006. Prematurity and low birth weight accounted for 31 percent of the deaths of 2006 newborns under 28 days old, an increase from the previous year. Minority women continued to experience markedly higher rates of low and very low birthweight births (13.4 percent of live minority births) than did whites (7.4 percent). These higher rates are responsible for much of the gap between white and minority birth outcomes.

The number of infant deaths related to SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome) decreased for the second year in a row, accounting for 94 deaths of babies under one year old. SIDS deaths in licensed child care settings have continued to be very low, averaging less than two per year, since the state’s Prevent SIDS law went into effect in 2003. The law mandates training for licensed child care providers, safe sleep positioning (on the back) for babies, and written policies discussed with parents. Collaboration between the N.C. Healthy Start Foundation, N.C. Division of Child Development, N.C. Division of Public Health and other agencies led to the development and implementation of the state guidelines and training. Read more at ncdhhs.gov