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Indicator 1 6 : Infant mortality

Goal: Minnesotans will be healthy. This goal encompasses both physical and mental health throughout life. It is also aimed at reducing disparities in health status among racial and ethnic minorities. Indicators for the goal deal with both health status and health care.

Rationale: Infant mortality is an important indicator because it reflects the quality of both pre- and post-natal care.

Infant mortality rate per 1,000 live births, total

Year
19907.3
19917.5
19927.1
19937.5
19947.0
19956.8
19965.9
19975.9
19985.9
19996.2
20005.6
 graph
Local data

Data source: Minnesota Department of Health

Infant mortality rate per 1,000 live births, American Indian

Year
199016.1
199116.0
199217.4
199317.1
199416.3
199516.5
199617.2
199715.1
199816.8
199915.5
200014.4
 graph

Data source: Minnesota Department of Health

Infant mortality rate per 1,000 live births, Asian or Pacific Islander

Year
19906.6
19916.2
19926.1
19936.0
19946.4
19957.2
19967.3
19977.2
19987.0
19997.1
20006.6
 graph

Data source: Minnesota Department of Health

Infant mortality rate per 1,000 live births, Black/ African American

Year
199022.8
199122.9
199221.9
199319.9
199419.3
199518.1
199616.6
199716.4
199816.3
199915.7
200015.1
 graph

Data source: Minnesota Department of Health

Infant mortality rate per 1,000 live births, Hispanic

Year
199310.9
19949.7
19959.3
19969.1
19979.1
19988.3
19999.1
20008.6
 graph

Data source: Minnesota Department of Health

Infant mortality rate per 1,000 live births, White

Year
19907.4
19916.9
19926.6
19936.6
19946.6
19956.5
19966.2
19976.0
19985.6
19995.4
20005.2
 graph

Data source: Minnesota Department of Health

About this indicator: The number of infant deaths per 1,000 live births declined steadily from 7.5 in 1993 to 5.6 in 2000 apart from a slight increase in 1999. The Minnesota Department of Health has set a goal of reducing the infant mortality rate to no more than five deaths per 1,000 live births by 2004. In 2001, the Minnesota Legislature allocated $13.9 million for a statewide health disparities initiative.

Among racial groups, the most dramatic improvement was in Black/African American infant mortality, which dropped from 22.8 to 15.1 between 1990-2000. However, infant mortality rates for Blacks/African Americans, American Indians and Hispanics remain well above rates for Whites.

For comparison: Nationally, the infant mortality rate was 7.3 deaths per 1,000 live births in 1999, compared to the Minnesota rate of 6.2 per 1,000.

Things to think about: Medical advances in the care of very premature infants have improved survival rates over the past decade. However, this indicator reveals one of Minnesota's worst health discrepancies between White children and children of color. The state's infant mortality rates for Black/African American and Native American children are among the highest in the country. In the Twin Cities metropolitan area, the mortality rate is four times greater for Black/African American infants than for White infants.

Technical notes: Infant mortality is reported as the number of deaths from birth to the first birthday, per 1,000 live births. Rates for racial and ethnic groups are an aggregate for the preceding five-year period. County rates are in three year averages.

Sources:

  • Minnesota Department of Health, www.health.state.mn.us
  • U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Vital Statistics Report, www.cdc.gov/nchs

Related data trends:

  • Infant deaths, total

    • Related indicators:

    Other related indicators:

    • Percentage of children under 18 covered by health insurance (Minnesota Department of Health, www.health.state.mn.us)
    • Life expectancy at birth by gender, age and ethnicity (Minnesota Department of Health, www.health.state.mn.us)

    Retrieve county data for: Infant mortality rate per 1,000 live births, total

    Create Map: Infant mortality rate per 1,000 live births, total

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Technical problems? Contact: andrew.koebrick@state.mn.us