Not Only Is CA’s Infant Mortality Rate Decreasing, it’s the Lowest Recorded

In order to provide reliable data at a county level, kidsdata.org offers infant mortality rates over three-year periods. The most recent data we have – from ’07-’09 – show a declining rate of infant mortality in California, from 5.9 infant deaths per 1,000 live births in ’96-’98 to 5.1 in ’07-’09. See county-level data >>

However, when examining California as a whole, as opposed to individual counties, one-year rates are reliable, and according to data just released from the California Department of Public Health, the 2009 infant mortality rate – 4.9 per 1,000 live births – was the lowest recorded. The infant mortality rate has dropped considerably over the years; about 20 years ago, in 1991, the rate was 7.5 infant deaths per 1,000 live births.

The 2009 data released by the state also show that disparities persist, with infant mortality rates that are more than twice as high for Multiracial and African American/Black infants as for Hispanic/Latino, Caucasian/White, and Asian infants.

For analysis on these California-wide data, visit HealthyCal.org.

Posted by Andy Krackov

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