Performance Measure 30 Infant Mortality Benchmark Maine's infant mortality rate will improve from 6.8 per 1,000 births in 1993 to less than 6, on average, for the period 1993 to 2000. In 1995, Maine's infant mortality rate was 6.5, meaning that 6.5 out of every 1,000 infants died before their first birthday, for various reasons. Infant mortality is a good indicator of social conditions such as poverty and an unhealthy environment.
Infant mortality is most meaningful when looked at over decades.
Over time it is a good but rough measure of a state's or a nation's health but experts caution against drawing conclusions from year to year fluctuations. For related data, visit our links page. We have moved toward the benchmark. We have moved away from the benchmark. No significant movement either way.