Leading causes of infant death in the United States 2022

The leading causes of infant death in the United States are congenital malformations, low birth weight, and sudden infant death syndrome. In 2022, congenital malformations accounted for around 19 percent of all infant deaths in the United States.

Infant mortality in the United States

Infant mortality refers to the death of a child under the age of one. In the United States, there were around 19,578 infant deaths in 2020. However, the infant mortality rate in the United States has decreased steadily over the past few decades. In 1990, the infant mortality rate was 9.4 per 1,000 live births, but had dropped to around 5.4 per 1,000 live births by 2021. Rates of infant mortality do vary though depending on the state and region. For example, the infant mortality rate in Mississippi in 2021 was 9.39 per 1,000 live births, compared to a rate of just 2.77 per 1,000 live births in North Dakota.

What is sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS)?

Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) is the third leading cause of infant death in the United States with a rate of around 42 deaths per 100,000 live births. SIDS is the unexplained death of an infant. In such cases, the baby usually seems to be healthy but suddenly dies, often during sleep. The cause of SIDS is unknown but may be connected to problems in the brain controlling breathing and waking from sleep. In 2021, there were an estimated 1,458 deaths from SIDS in the United States. Mississippi and Alabama are the states with the highest rates of sudden unexpected infant death, while Vermont and Massachusetts have the lowest rates.