U.S. infant mortality rate fails to improve.

Nearly 28,000 babies died before their first birthday, according to new infant mortality statistics for 2003 released by the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS). The infant mortality rates showed no significant improvement in 2003 after increasing in 2002 for the first time since 1958. The rate was 6.8 deaths for every 1,000 live births, which was statistically unchanged from the 2002 rate of 7.0. Two-thirds of all infant deaths occurred within the first month of life.

“These new statistics are sobering. Essentially there has been no improvement in the infant death rate since 2000. Premature birth is the leading cause of newborn death in the first month of life and preventing premature birth remains at the forefront of the March of Dimes agenda,” said Nancy Green, M.D., March of Dimes medical director. “We must be more focused upon reversing the stagnancy in the rate of infant mortality, a key indicator of child health, including working to reduce preterm and low birthweight births.”

In 2003 birth defects, as well as prematurity and low birthweight remained the leading causes of infant death.

Babies born at less than 28 weeks gestation accounted for less than 1 percent all live births but nearly half of all U.S. infant deaths in 2003.

Also, infants weighing less than 1,000 grams or 2.2 pounds at birth also accounted for less than one percent of births and nearly half of all infant deaths in the U.S. in 2003.

Multiple births had mortality rates more than five times that of singleton babies, according to the NCHS report. Babies born to Black mothers continued to have the highest rate of infant deaths at 13.5 per 1,000 live births, while Asians had the lowest rate at 4.8. The rate for American Indians was 8.7 and for Whites it was 5.7. Infants born to Hispanic mothers, who can be of any race, had an infant mortality rate of 5.6.

“Infant Mortality Statistics from the 2003 Period Linked Birth/Infant Death Data Set” was published in Vol. 54, No. 16 of the National Vital Statistics report. Also available from the March of Dimes is a state-by-state table and graphic of infant mortality rates. The March of Dimes works to improve the health of babies by preventing birth defects, premature birth and infant mortality. For more information, visit marchofdimes.com or nacersano.org for Spanish.