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Show Infant Mortality Compiled by Lars Peterson 2000 Utah Infant Deaths: 284 Infant mortality is defined as the number of deaths of individuals less than one year of age per 1,000 live births. Infant death is an important measure of overall health status. The main causes of infant death includes birth defects, disorders relating to short gestation, SIDS, and unspecified infant death. Infant mortality reflects the overall state of maternal health, as well as the quality and accessibility of primary health care for pregnant women and infants. The infant mortality rate has been declining throughout the past twenty years both locally and nationally. Despite this decline, the problem of infant mortality remains substantial. Moreover, there are populations in Utah whose rates far exceed the state average. For instance, from 1996 to 1998, the infant death rate for African Americans was 10.7 and 10.3 for Native Americans. Programs targeted at reducing infant mortality concentrate on promoting better prenatal care, improving care of high-risk pregnancies and high-risk infants, and educating prenatal care providers to help their clients quit smoking (a leading cause of low birth weight). In Utah there is a Back to Sleep Campaign designed to educate parents on sleeping habits in order to reduce the incidence of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). Table 50. Infant Mortality per 1,000 live births, Utah and U.S., 1985-1999. Incidence (per l.ooo) Year Utah U.S. Utah:U.S. 1985 9.7 10.6 0.92 1986 8.7 10.4 0.84 1987 8.9 10.1 0.88 1988 8.0 10.0 0.80 1989 8.0 9.8 0.82 1990 7.5 9.2 0.82 1991 6.2 8.9 0.70 1992 5.9 8.5 0.69 1993 6.0 8.4 0.71 1994 6.0 8.0 0.75 1995 5.3 7.6 0.70 1996 5.9 7.3 0.81 1997 5.8 7.2 0.81 1998 5.7 7.2 0.79 1999 4.8 7.1 0.68 12 n ^ 8-o 8 4 -2 - Utah 0 1985 U.S. 1987 1989 1991 1993 Year 1995 1997 1999 Figure 34. Infant Mortality, Utah and U.S., 1985-1999. Sources: Utah 1985-2000: Utah Department of Health. Center for Health Data. Indicator-Based Infomiation System for Public Health [Online] http://ibisph.state.ut. us/. Retrieved 4/21/02. U.S. 1985-1999: National Center for Health Statistics. National Vital Statistics Report Vol. 49(8); September 21, 2001. [Online] http://www.cdc.gov/ nchs/. Retrieved 4/21/02. 90 Utah's Health: An Annual Review Volume VIII |
