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Iowa Value:
Number of deaths during first 28 days of life (0-27 days) per 1,000 live births
Iowa Rank:
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Number of deaths during first 28 days of life (0-27 days) per 1,000 live births
<= 2.9
3.0 - 3.4
3.5 - 3.8
3.9 - 4.1
>= 4.2
US Value: 3.5
Top State(s): Massachusetts, New Jersey, Vermont: 2.3
Bottom State(s): Mississippi: 5.2
Definition: Number of deaths during first 28 days of life (0-27 days) per 1,000 live births
Data Source and Years(s): CDC WONDER, Linked Birth/Infant Death Files, 2021-2022
Suggested Citation: America's Health Rankings analysis of CDC WONDER, Linked Birth/Infant Death Files, United Health Foundation, AmericasHealthRankings.org, accessed 2024.
Infant mortality is a key indicator of a country’s population health and the effectiveness of its health care system. Nearly two-thirds of all infant deaths occur between birth and 27 days (the neonatal period). Maternal health, prenatal and postnatal care and access to quality health care before, during and after birth influence the likelihood of infant death. The leading causes of neonatal mortality are:
Significant sociodemographic disparities, predominantly by race. The prevalence of infant mortality is higher among:
Babies born to women who smoke during pregnancy are more likely to be born prematurely, with low birth weight and with birth defects, all of which are risk factors for neonatal mortality.
Key prenatal and postnatal strategies for reducing the risk of neonatal and infant mortality include:
Reducing the infant mortality rate is a Healthy People 2030 leading health indicator.
Barfield, Wanda, Denise D’Angelo, Rachel Moon, Michael Lu, Betty Wong, and John Iskander. “CDC Grand Rounds: Public Health Approaches to Reducing U.S. Infant Mortality.” MMWR. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, CDC Grand Rounds, 62, no. 31 (August 9, 2013): 625–28. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4604989/.
Ely, Danielle M., and Anne K. Driscoll. “Infant Mortality in the United States, 2020: Data From the Period Linked Birth/Infant Death File.” National Vital Statistics Reports 71, no. 5 (September 29, 2022). https://doi.org/10.15620/cdc:120700.
Komro, Kelli A., Melvin D. Livingston, Sara Markowitz, and Alexander C. Wagenaar. “The Effect of an Increased Minimum Wage on Infant Mortality and Birth Weight.” American Journal of Public Health 106, no. 8 (August 2016): 1514–16. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2016.303268.
Reidpath, D. D., and P. Allotey. “Infant Mortality Rate as an Indicator of Population Health.” Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health 57, no. 5 (May 1, 2003): 344–46. https://doi.org/10.1136/jech.57.5.344.
Singh, Gopal K., and Stella M. Yu. “Infant Mortality in the United States, 1915-2017: Large Social Inequalities Have Persisted for Over a Century.” International Journal of MCH and AIDS 8, no. 1 (March 20, 2019): 19–31. https://doi.org/10.21106/ijma.271.
Thornton, Hannah V., Rosie P. Cornish, and Deborah A. Lawlor. “Non-Linear Associations of Maternal Pre-Pregnancy Body Mass Index with Risk of Stillbirth, Infant, and Neonatal Mortality in over 28 Million Births in the USA: A Retrospective Cohort Study.” eClinicalMedicine 66 (December 2023): 102351. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eclinm.2023.102351.
America’s Health Rankings builds on the work of the United Health Foundation to draw attention to public health and better understand the health of various populations. Our platform provides relevant information that policymakers, public health officials, advocates and leaders can use to effect change in their communities.
We have developed detailed analyses on the health of key populations in the country, including women and children, seniors and those who have served in the U.S. Armed Forces, in addition to a deep dive into health disparities across the country.