Infant mortality

Detroit's Health Department released a community health report identifying maternal and infant health, chronic conditions, food access, and healthcare access as top concerns. The city plans to address these issues through a 'health in all' policy approach, aiming to reduce Detroit's infant mortality rate, which remains high at 12.2 per 1,000 live births in 2023.

Lane Regional Medical Center is distributing safe sleep bundles to new mothers delivering at the facility. The bundles include a portable crib, sleep sack, breastfeeding pillow, and other items aimed at reducing infant and perinatal mortality rates.

The U.S. infant mortality rate fell to an all-time low in 2025, with 5.4 deaths per 1,000 live births, though it remains higher than in other high-income nations. The decline follows medical advances, public health efforts, and new measures like RSV prevention strategies, but disparities persist by race and other factors.

The UN condemned US sanctions on Cuba for causing increased infant mortality and reduced survival rates for child cancer patients. UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk stated that Trump's fuel shipment cuts are depriving Cubans of water, food, and healthcare.

Indiana's infant mortality rate remained at a record low of 6.3 deaths per 1,000 live births in 2025, matching the previous year's level. Preliminary data shows 500 infant deaths in 2025, down from 509 in 2024, though the state's rate remains above the national average of 5.36. The Indiana Department of Health highlighted initiatives like breastfeeding programs and safe sleep education to improve maternal and infant health.

North Carolina's child death rate in 2024 was 27.5 per 100,000, higher than the national average, driven by increases in teen homicides and motor vehicle accidents. While infant mortality declined, racial disparities persisted, and 56% of child deaths occurred before age one.

The article warns that economic inequality threatens democracy, citing Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis' warning about wealth concentration. It highlights 30-year highs in economic and wage inequality, with the U.S. ranking first in poverty and second in infant mortality among peer countries.