FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Carolyn Miller, (334) 206-2959
The Alabama Department of Public Health (ADPH) announces the 2022 Alabama infant mortality rate was 6.7 deaths per 1,000 live births, a decrease from the 7.6 rate in 2021. Alabama's infant mortality rate, however, remains higher than the provisional U.S. rate for 2022, which is 5.6. While Alabama’s rate improved, the national rate trended upward for the first time in 20 years.
Black mothers continue to have the highest infant mortality rate in the state. In 2022, the rate increased to 12.4 from the 2021 rate of 12.1. The infant mortality rate for white mothers was 4.3, a decrease from 5.8 in 2021.
State Health Officer Dr. Scott Harris said, “I am pleased that both the 2022 infant mortality rate and the 3-year infant mortality rate of 7.1 for the years 2020-2022 have decreased to the lowest rate ever. Births with maternal smoking also declined to the lowest ever recorded. The enduring disparity between birth outcomes for Black and white mothers, however, is disturbing. Despite advances in healthcare, the Black infant mortality rate is consistently twice the rate for white mothers. We must address the many factors that contribute to infant mortality, including poverty, educational levels, and access to medical care.”
State Committee of Public Health member Dr. Max Rogers commented, “We are heartened to learn that Alabama’s infant mortality rate declined in 2022. If this positive trend is to continue, we must follow evidence-based practices that have been shown to save lives, such as providing access to timely, adequate prenatal care.”
Dr. Eli Brown, another State Committee of Public Health member, said, “As an obstetrician/gynecologist who focuses on women’s health and delivering babies, I am troubled that a major predictor of whether a mother will deliver a baby preterm is her race. Improving outcomes for Black infants, along with infants of all races and ethnicities, is imperative. Births to mothers in hospitals which have a higher volume of deliveries improve the chance of healthy survival for high-risk infants.”
Statistics regarding Alabama births and pregnancies include the following:
Graphs and detailed charts are available at the ADPH website at the Center for Health Statistics.
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11/16/23
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Mission: To promote, protect, and improve Alabama’s health
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