Mississippi Administrative Code › Title 15 - Mississippi Department of Health › Part 8 - Office of Health Policy and Planning › Subpart 90 - Planning and Resource Development › Chapter 04 - Perinatal Care › Section 15-8-90-04-401 - Infant Mortality

Current through June 25, 2024
Infant mortality remains a critical concern in Mississippi.
					 There was an increase in the infant mortality rate to 8.8 in 2019 from 8.4 in
					 2018. Table 4-2 shows the infant, neonatal, and post-neonatal mortality rates
					 for non-Hispanic black infants were all substantially above the rates for
					 non-Hispanic white and Hispanic infants.
Table 4-2 2019
Mortality Rates (deaths per 1,000 live
					 births)
Category
Overall State Rate
Non-Hispanic White Rate
Non-Hispanic Black Rate
Hispanic Rate
Total Infant Mortality (age under one
								  year)
8.8
6.5
11.8
5.9
Neonatal Mortality (age under 28 days)
5.2
3.8
6.9
3.5
Postneonatal Mortality (age 28 days to one
								  year)
3.6
2.7
4.9
2.3
Source: Mississippi Office of Vital Records and Public
					 Health Statistics, Mississippi State Department of Health, 2021
Table 4-3 displays Mississippi's infant mortality rates
					 from 2005 to 2019, along with the rates for the United States. Map 4-1 shows
					 the five-year average infant mortality rate by county for the period 2015 to
					 2019.
Table 4-3 Infant Mortality Rates Mississippi and USA
					 - All Races 2005-2019
Year
Mississippi
United States
2019
8.8
N/A
2018
8.4
5.7
2017
8.7
5.8
2016
8.6
5.9
2015
9.2
5.9
2014
8.2
5.8
2013
9.7
6.0
2012
8.9
6.0
2011
9.4
6.1
2010
9.7
6.2
2009
10
6.4
2008
9.9
6.6
2007
10.1
6.8
2006
10.5
6.7
2005
11.4
6.9
N/A - Not Available
Source: Mississippi Office of Vital Records and Public
					 Health Statistics, Mississippi State Department of Health 2021
Many factors contribute to Mississippi's high infant
					 mortality rate including: a high incidence of preterm birth and low
					 birthweight, young and advanced maternal age, lack of education, poverty, lack
					 of access for planned delivery services, and lack of adequate perinatal and
					 acute medical care.
More than 97 percent of expectant mothers received some
					 level of prenatal care in 2019. More than 75.9 percent (27,795) of mothers
					 began prenatal care in the first trimester; 17.4 percent (6,371) began in the
					 second trimester, and 3.9 percent (1,440) during the third trimester. Only 1.3
					 percent (486) of expectant mothers received no prenatal care prior to delivery.
					 The Kessner Index measures prenatal care adequacy based on the month in which
					 prenatal care began, the number of prenatal visits, and the length of
					 gestation. In Mississippi, 8.1 percent of women have inadequate prenatal care
					 (white women account for 6.5 percent, black women account for 10.1 percent, and
					 women of other races account for 8.4 percent).
In 2019, 12.3 percent of births were low birthweight (less
					 than 5.5 pounds or 2,500 grams) and 14.6 percent were premature (gestational
					 age less than 37 weeks). These indicators differ markedly by maternal race: 8.7
					 percent of non-Hispanic white births were low birthweight compared to 17.3
					 percent for non-Hispanic black births. The low birthweight rate for Hispanics
					 was 7.8 percent. The premature birth rate was 10.4 percent for Hispanic women,
					 12.4 percent for non-Hispanic white women and 17.8 percent for non-Hispanic
					 black women.
A total of 2,911 Mississippi teenagers (under 20 years of
					 age) gave birth in 2019 - 7.9 percent of the state's 36,634 live births.
					 Teenage births increased each year from 2005 until 2007 but decreased steadily
					 through 2018. There was a slight (2.6%) increase in the number of births to
					 teenagers between 2018 and 2019. In 2019, 13.9 percent of teenage births were
					 low birthweight and 13.7 percent were premature.
There are several factors that could create a high-risk
					 pregnancy condition. These factors include:
* Existing health conditions (e.g., high blood pressure,
					 heart or blood disorders, renal conditions, thyroid disease, diabetes, asthma,
					 autoimmune diseases, epilepsy, obesity, sexually transmitted infections,
					 stress, depression, anxiety, etc.);
* Age (young age or over 35 years of age);
* Lifestyle factors (e.g., substance use/substance use
					 disorders including alcohol and tobacco);
* Short interpregnancy intervals [Interpregnancy care.
					 Obstetric Care Consensus No. 8. American College of Obstetricians and
					 Gynecologists. Obstet Gynecol 2019;133:e51-72.]; and
* Conditions of pregnancy (e.g., multiple gestation,
					 preeclampsia and eclampsia, gestational diabetes, previous preterm birth, birth
					 defects or genetic conditions of the fetus).