Most counties fall between the levels of 10 to 20 percent. Another way to define prematurity would be to consider the weight of the newborn. In Map No. Mortality Factors in Mississippi Fetal and infant deaths for 1993 within each county were considered in this first map, Map No. EN-HE 009, Distribution of Fetal and Infant Deaths in Mississippi.
Infant death is defined as any death of a child under one year of age.
Fetal deaths are those deaths which occur in utero, before delivery is completed, or where the newborn show no signs of life immediately after birth. Within each county there are three numbers. The top refers to the number of infant deaths for that county. The middle number gives the number of fetal deaths, and the bottom number is the total number of deaths in each county. The sum of the fetal and infant deaths is used as a percentage of the total number of deaths in each county for 1993.