Preliminary report shows decrease in infant fatalities

By WHITNEY DOWNARD nfant mortality ticked up in 2022 but preliminary data for the 2023 analysis of infant deaths indicates deaths may be decreasing. (Getty Images) A 2024 report analyzing 2022 infant death records with a preliminary glimpse at 2023 fatalities found that deaths decreased between the two years, from 7.2 deaths per 1,000 live births to 6.5 deaths per 1,000 live births. Roughly 11 babies died every week in 2022 for a total of 577 children who died before their first birthday. “Every baby lost is a tragedy,“ State Health Commissioner Lindsay Weaver said in a release. “Although it’s preliminary, we are encouraged to see that infant mortality is declining in Indiana, and we’ll continue working to understand the causes of these deaths so even more can be prevented.” The national average for 2022 infant mortality was 5.6 deaths per 1,000 live births. The rate for Black, non-Hispanic children continued to outpace their peers, with a rate of 14.1 deaths per 1,000 live births in 2022, or 140 children. Hispanic children of all races had a rate of 7.9 deaths per 1,000 births followed by white children at 5.6 deaths per 1,000 births.& In 2016, the rate of infants...