In 2022, the United States experienced a rise in infant mortality rates, marking the first such increase in over two decades, as indicated by a report published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
An estimated 20,538 US infants died in 2022, a 3 percent increase from the 19,928 deaths in 2021, Xinhua news agency quoted the report as saying. It was the first year-on-year increase in the rate since 2001 to 2022.
Additionally, infant fatalities resulting from maternal complications, such as preeclampsia or preterm delivery, increased by 8 percent, and deaths attributed to bacterial sepsis surged by 14 percent.
“The reported increase in infant mortality rates is disturbing and disappointing. We live in a country with abundant resources. Yet the infant mortality rate in the US is shockingly high,” said Sandy L. Chung, president of the American Academy of Pediatrics.”
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“There are many different reasons for this. We do know that families in poverty face many challenges including access to nutritious food and affordable healthcare. Racial and ethnic disparities related to accessible healthcare – including prenatal health services – are just one of the many possible reasons for lower birth weights of babies and sometimes, infant deaths,” Chung added.
Source: IANS
