November 1, 2023 – Child mortality rose in 2022 for the primary time in greater than 20 years, in response to a brand new government report.
According to the CDC, the general mortality rate and the speed for newborns younger than 28 days increased by 3% from 2021 to 2022 National Center for Health Statistics. The mortality rate for infants older than 28 days increased by 4%.
Meanwhile, infant deaths from maternal complications rose 8% and deaths from bacterial sepsis rose 14%, the report said.
“We live in a country with significant resources, so the child mortality rate and increase are alarmingly high,” wrote Dr. Sandy Chung of the American Academy of Pediatrics CNN. “As pediatricians who help children grow into healthy adults, every child death is one too many. The child mortality rate in this country is unacceptable.”
Experts say the rise might be an indication of an underlying health problem, an unusual event or partly related to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Infant mortality rates increased amongst moms aged 25 to 29; for premature babies; for boys; and in Georgia, Iowa, Missouri and Texas. In Nevada the speed fell.
“Mortality rates increased significantly among infants born to American Indian and Alaska Native non-Hispanic women … and white non-Hispanic women,” the report said.
“Mortality rates for black women's infants did not increase significantly, the report said, but black infants had the highest infant mortality rate overall: nearly 11 deaths per 1,000 births, or more than double the mortality rate for white infants,” CNN wrote.
“We know that there are significant challenges in accessing a doctor or receiving treatment for people living in or near poverty and for certain racial and ethnic groups,” Chung wrote. “This can result in mothers and babies presenting for care when they are sicker and is more likely to have serious consequences, even death.”