The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) Maternal and Child Health Epidemiology Section recently led a webinar on 2022 maternal and infant health statistics for the state.
Infant mortality refers to the death of an infant before their first birthday and is usually measured as a rate per 1,000 births. In 2022, the overall infant mortality rate in Michigan was 6.4 deaths per 1,000 live births.
Infant mortality rates during this time showed significant variation by race and ethnicity. In 2022, the infant mortality rate for Black non-Hispanic infants was the highest for all groups and 7.9 deaths more than the next group. This racial disparity has persisted over time, with data from 2013-2021 consistently showing a difference in infant mortality rates between Black and White infants. Below are the infant mortality rates for all racial and ethnic groups.
- Black non-Hispanic: 13.3 deaths per 1,000 live births
- Asian/Pacific Islander Non-Hispanic: 5.4 deaths per 1,000 live births
- White non-Hispanic: 4.8 deaths per 1,000 live births
- Hispanic: 4.0 deaths per 1,000 live births
Other data reported on infant mortality included stratification by maternal age and insurance type. Infants born to mothers under 20 years of age had the highest infant mortality rate at 6.1 deaths per 1,000 live births more than the next highest age group. Below are the infant mortality rates by maternal age.
- Less than 20 years of age: 13.0 per 1,000 live births
- Ages 20 – 29: 6.9 deaths per 1,000 live births
- Ages 30 and older: 5.4 deaths per 1,000 live births
Infants covered by Medicaid had a 5.3 higher infant mortality rate (9.5 per 1,000 live births) compared to infants with private insurance (4.2).
The data also highlight common causes of infant death in 2022. Perinatal conditions were the leading cause, responsible for 49.5% of infant deaths. Sleep-related causes accounted for 17.2% and congenital anomalies made up 16.8% of infant deaths.
Members with questions may contact Ewa Panetta at the MHA.