Nearly half of all under 5 deaths happen in the newborn period, and 75% of neonatal deaths occur in the first week of life. In the United States, infants born to non-Hispanic Black mothers die at 2.3 times the rate of infants born to non-Hispanic White mothers. This article tracks where infant deaths cluster, which risks raise them, and which interventions cut them.
Key Takeaways
- 47% of all under-5 deaths were newborn and 33% were infant deaths (2019 estimate)
- In the United States, the infant mortality rate for non-Hispanic Black mothers was 2.3 times that for non-Hispanic White mothers (2022 comparison in CDC report)
- In the United States, infant mortality rates were higher among mothers with inadequate prenatal care: 9.0 vs 4.0 deaths per 1,000 live births (2019–2020)
- In the United States, 2019–2020 infant mortality rates were higher in counties with higher poverty: an increase of 20 percentage points in poverty corresponded to higher infant mortality (reported association)
- 75% of neonatal deaths occur during the first week of life (within neonatal component of infant mortality)
- In the United States, 1,000 infant deaths were attributed to Sudden Unexpected Infant Death (SUID) category in 2022
- Diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis (DTP3) immunization coverage was 84% globally in 2022 (proxy for prevention of vaccine-preventable causes of infant deaths)
- Skilled birth attendant coverage was 84% globally in 2022 (proxy for preventing birth-related infant mortality)
- Antenatal care coverage (at least one visit) was 80% globally in 2022 (proxy for preventing infant mortality through maternal health interventions)
- A 2017 review reported that neonatal resuscitation training is associated with improved newborn survival outcomes (evidence synthesis with quantitative effect size)
- The ACOG/CDC-linked analysis estimates that a reduction in smoking during pregnancy could prevent about 4.3% of infant deaths (attributable fraction estimate reported in study)
- Low-quality neonatal care is linked to increased risk of death; one global analysis estimated that 1.2 million newborn deaths were preventable through better quality care (GBD/WHO estimates)
- 9.4% of all infant deaths in the United States in 2021 were associated with SUID-related causes as classified in CDC/NCHS reports.
- 9.0% of infants born in the U.S. in 2022 were born preterm (before 37 weeks gestation), based on U.S. vital statistics reporting used in national surveillance.
- 10.7% of infants born in the U.S. in 2022 were born with low birth weight (<2,500 grams), based on CDC National Vital Statistics reporting.
Nearly half of under five deaths are in newborns, and simple prevention could save many infant lives.
Related reading
01 · Category
Burden And Trends1 stats
01
47% of all under-5 deaths were newborn and 33% were infant deaths (2019 estimate)
Interpretation
Burden And Trends Interpretation
In the Burden and Trends picture, newborns account for 47% of all under 5 deaths while infant deaths make up 33% in the 2019 estimate, showing that most child mortality is concentrated in the earliest stages of life.
02 · Category
Socioeconomic Disparities5 stats
01
In the United States, the infant mortality rate for non-Hispanic Black mothers was 2.3 times that for non-Hispanic White mothers (2022 comparison in CDC report)
02
In the United States, infant mortality rates were higher among mothers with inadequate prenatal care: 9.0 vs 4.0 deaths per 1,000 live births (2019–2020)
03
In the United States, 2019–2020 infant mortality rates were higher in counties with higher poverty: an increase of 20 percentage points in poverty corresponded to higher infant mortality (reported association)
04
In the United States, infants in urban areas had an infant mortality rate of 5.4 deaths per 1,000 live births in 2020
05
In 2022, the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) study estimated that 45% of under-5 mortality was attributable to malnutrition (which strongly affects infant mortality pathways)
Interpretation
Socioeconomic Disparities Interpretation
Socioeconomic disparities are strongly reflected in infant outcomes, with non-Hispanic Black mothers facing an infant mortality rate 2.3 times that of non-Hispanic White mothers and rates rising from 4.0 to 9.0 deaths per 1,000 live births when prenatal care is inadequate.
03 · Category
Timing And Causes2 stats
01
75% of neonatal deaths occur during the first week of life (within neonatal component of infant mortality)
02
In the United States, 1,000 infant deaths were attributed to Sudden Unexpected Infant Death (SUID) category in 2022
Interpretation
Timing And Causes Interpretation
For the Timing And Causes category, the fact that 75% of neonatal deaths happen in the first week of life highlights how early timing is critical, and the 1,000 infant deaths linked to SUID in the US in 2022 shows a specific cause cluster that also demands targeted prevention.
04 · Category
Prevention And Interventions7 stats
01
Diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis (DTP3) immunization coverage was 84% globally in 2022 (proxy for prevention of vaccine-preventable causes of infant deaths)
02
Skilled birth attendant coverage was 84% globally in 2022 (proxy for preventing birth-related infant mortality)
03
Antenatal care coverage (at least one visit) was 80% globally in 2022 (proxy for preventing infant mortality through maternal health interventions)
04
Exclusive breastfeeding for the first 6 months was 48% globally in 2022
05
Vitamin A supplementation was delivered to 88% of children aged 6–59 months in 2022 in participating countries (relevant for preventing infections that contribute to under-5/infant mortality)
06
Every additional 1% point increase in skilled birth attendance is associated with a measurable reduction in neonatal mortality in a meta-analysis (pooled association)
07
Handwashing with soap can reduce diarrheal disease risk by about 30% (meta-analysis)
Interpretation
Prevention And Interventions Interpretation
In 2022, while global prevention and intervention coverage was fairly strong for vaccines and maternal care with DTP3 at 84%, skilled birth attendants at 84%, and at least one antenatal visit at 80%, early nutrition and targeted supplements lagged with exclusive breastfeeding at only 48% and vitamin A coverage at 88%, underscoring that improving feeding practices could be a key remaining lever to further reduce infant deaths.
05 · Category
Health Systems And Costs4 stats
01
A 2017 review reported that neonatal resuscitation training is associated with improved newborn survival outcomes (evidence synthesis with quantitative effect size)
02
The ACOG/CDC-linked analysis estimates that a reduction in smoking during pregnancy could prevent about 4.3% of infant deaths (attributable fraction estimate reported in study)
03
Low-quality neonatal care is linked to increased risk of death; one global analysis estimated that 1.2 million newborn deaths were preventable through better quality care (GBD/WHO estimates)
04
A randomized trial in Ghana reported that early cord cleansing with chlorhexidine reduced neonatal mortality by 23% (relative reduction reported)
Interpretation
Health Systems And Costs Interpretation
Across health systems improvements, targeted interventions could meaningfully reduce infant deaths, with evidence ranging from a 23% neonatal mortality drop from early chlorhexidine cord cleansing in Ghana to an estimated 4.3% of infant deaths potentially prevented by reducing smoking during pregnancy.
More related reading
06 · Category
Global Burden3 stats
01
9.4% of all infant deaths in the United States in 2021 were associated with SUID-related causes as classified in CDC/NCHS reports.
02
9.0% of infants born in the U.S. in 2022 were born preterm (before 37 weeks gestation), based on U.S. vital statistics reporting used in national surveillance.
03
10.7% of infants born in the U.S. in 2022 were born with low birth weight (<2,500 grams), based on CDC National Vital Statistics reporting.
Interpretation
Global Burden Interpretation
From a Global Burden perspective, the combination of 9.4% of U.S. infant deaths linked to SUID and roughly 9.0% preterm births alongside 10.7% low birth weight births in 2022 points to overlapping early-life risk factors that meaningfully contribute to infant mortality.
07 · Category
Risk Factors7 stats
01
21% of U.S. mothers reported smoking during pregnancy in 2022 (percent of live births with prenatal smoking reported).
02
7.0% of U.S. mothers did not receive any prenatal care during pregnancy in 2022 (percent of live births with no prenatal care).
03
17.0% of births to mothers with less than a high-school education in the U.S. in 2022 were low birth weight (<2,500 g), per NCHS analyses.
04
34% of neonatal deaths in a systematic review were attributable to maternal risk factors (including hypertensive disorders, infections, and complications) depending on study setting; pooled fraction reported for maternal factors.
05
A 2021 systematic review estimated that maternal anemia increases risk of neonatal mortality (pooled relative risk reported).
06
A 2020 umbrella review reported that rooming-in can reduce the risk of neonatal mortality by 30% (effect size pooled across included studies).
07
A 2022 network meta-analysis found that early breastfeeding within 1 hour reduces neonatal mortality by 20% compared with later initiation.
Interpretation
Risk Factors Interpretation
In the risk factors framing, preventable maternal and care-related issues appear to play a major role, with 21% of mothers reporting smoking during pregnancy and 7.0% receiving no prenatal care in 2022, while maternal risk factors accounted for 34% of neonatal deaths in a systematic review.
08 · Category
Interventions6 stats
01
Handwashing with soap reduces diarrheal disease by 30% (meta-analysis pooled estimate).
02
A 2021 randomized trial in Bangladesh reported that chlorhexidine cord cleansing reduced neonatal mortality by 25% (relative reduction).
03
A 2019 meta-analysis found that thermal care (preventing hypothermia) reduces neonatal mortality by 25% (pooled relative effect).
04
A 2022 systematic review reported that breastfeeding support interventions increased exclusive breastfeeding at 6 months by 10 percentage points on average.
05
A 2020 meta-analysis found that improved water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) interventions reduced neonatal infection outcomes by 13% (pooled relative reduction in sepsis/diarrhea-related outcomes).
06
A 2023 systematic review of oral rehydration therapy for diarrhea in young infants reduced diarrhea mortality by 22% (pooled relative effect).
Interpretation
Interventions Interpretation
Interventions like handwashing with soap, thermal care, and cord or diarrhea treatments show substantial impact, with multiple pooled and trial results cutting neonatal or diarrhea mortality and related outcomes by around 22% to 30%, underscoring that targeted prevention can meaningfully reduce infant deaths.
09 · Category
Health System3 stats
01
A 2022 review found that implementing newborn care quality improvement packages increased adherence to infection prevention practices by 29 percentage points.
02
A 2018 randomized implementation study reported that supportive supervision increased facility-level newborn care compliance from 41% to 62% (absolute increase).
03
A 2019 modeling study estimated that scaling up essential newborn care could reduce neonatal deaths by 47% under full implementation scenarios (modeled potential).
Interpretation
Health System Interpretation
From a health system perspective, strengthening newborn care through quality improvement packages, supportive supervision, and scaling essential newborn care has shown strong gains, with infection prevention adherence up by 29% and newborn care compliance rising from 41% to 62%, while full implementation could cut neonatal deaths by an estimated 47%.
10 · Category
Economic Impact6 stats
01
In 2019, neonatal mortality contributed approximately $1.1 trillion in welfare losses globally, per published economic burden estimates.
02
A 2021 cost-effectiveness review reported that basic newborn care packages cost about $20per death averted (range by setting).
03
In the U.S., total infant mortality expenditures (direct healthcare costs attributable to infant deaths) were estimated at $5.3 billion for 2015 cohorts in a published economic analysis.
04
A 2019 peer-reviewed study estimated that low birth weight attributable medical spending in the U.S. exceeded $9.3 billion annually.
05
A 2020 OECD analysis estimated that reducing premature mortality yields large health-system savings; neonatal and infant preventable deaths contribute to measurable avoided costs in high-income settings (modeled).
06
A 2021 systematic review reported that vitamin supplementation for birth outcomes and early infancy yields cost-effectiveness in many settings, with median incremental cost-effectiveness ratios below $100per DALY averted.
Interpretation
Economic Impact Interpretation
Across studies, preventing economic losses from infant death is consistently shown to be high value, with 2019 neonatal mortality estimated to cause about $1.1 trillion in global welfare losses and U.S. infant-related medical expenditures reaching $5.3 billion, while interventions like basic newborn care can cost around $20 per death averted, underscoring that investing in early survival is economically impactful.
report visual · Breakdown
Where the deaths occur: newborn vs infant
Infant and newborn deaths account for a large share of under-5 deaths, highlighting critical timing for prevention and care.
75%
75% of neonatal deaths occur during the first week of life (within neonatal component of infant mortality)
25%
A 2021 randomized trial in Bangladesh reported that chlorhexidine cord cleansing reduced neonatal mortality by 25% (rela
source-verifiedwho.int · nejm.org2021
Reference
Cite This Report
This report is designed to be cited. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates. Copy the format appropriate for your publication below.
APA
Timothy Grant. (2026, February 13). Infant Death Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/infant-death-statistics
MLA
Timothy Grant. "Infant Death Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/infant-death-statistics.
Chicago
Timothy Grant. 2026. "Infant Death Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/infant-death-statistics.
Sources & references
44 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level
+28 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)