To analyze the racial disparities in infant mortality rates (IMR) between non-Hispanic Black and non-Hispanic White infants and to quantify the contributions of age composition and mortality rates.
Approach:
Study Design: Cross-sectional study using publicly accessible Period Linked Birth/Infant Death Records from the National Center for Health Statistics from January 1, 2003, to December 31, 2024.
Data Analysis: Utilized the Kitagawa method to decompose the IMR difference into age composition and rate effects, and examined causes of death using ICD-10 codes.
Key Findings:
The IMR among non-Hispanic Black infants was more than double that of non-Hispanic White infants.
The Black IMR decreased from 13.2 to 10.7 deaths per 1000 live births (19% reduction) from 2003 to 2024, while the White IMR decreased from 5.6 to 4.3 (23% reduction).
The absolute gap in IMR narrowed from 7.7 to 6.0 deaths per 1000 live births from 2003 to 2019, then widened to 6.4 in 2024.
Differences in gestational age composition accounted for most of the IMR gap, but the mortality rate component increased from 21% to 32% from 2003 to 2024.
Sudden unexpected infant death (SUID) was the largest individual cause contributing to the IMR gap in 2024.
Limitations:
The study relied on existing data, which may not capture all relevant factors influencing IMR.
The analysis did not involve human participants, limiting the ability to explore individual-level factors.
