Prairie State Wire

The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) has released a report indicating a decrease in the state's infant mortality rate. The rate dropped to 5.6 deaths per 1,000 live births in 2021, down from 6.5 per 1,000 in 2018. This data was made public during Infant Mortality Awareness Month and highlights ongoing racial disparities in infant health.

Governor JB Pritzker has prioritized addressing these disparities, allocating over $23 million in the current state budget to improve birth outcomes. The state's infant mortality rate remains slightly above the national average of 5.4 but aligns with the Healthy People 2030 framework's goal of reducing rates to 5.0 or lower by 2030.

IDPH Director Dr. Sameer Vohra commented on the importance of newborn health as an indicator of societal well-being: "The health of a newborn baby during their first year of life is a critical indicator of the overall health of our society." He noted that while progress has been made, significant racial and ethnic disparities persist despite public health efforts.

The report defines infant mortality as the death of an infant before their first birthday and provides data for 2021, including 132,228 live births and 743 infant deaths in Illinois. Key findings identify prematurity, fetal malnutrition, birth defects, sudden unexpected infant death (SUID), and pregnancy/delivery complications as leading causes, accounting for nearly 70% of infant deaths.

Racial disparities are stark; infants born to non-Hispanic Black women have nearly three times the mortality rate compared to those born to White, Hispanic, and Asian women. If this rate were reduced to that among low-risk White women, it could prevent approximately 204 Black fetal and infant deaths annually.

Non-Hispanic Black infants are also more than four times as likely to die from SUID compared to non-Hispanic White and Hispanic infants.

The IDPH’s Office of Women’s Health and Family Services prepared the report with support from Title V Maternal and Child Health Services Block Grant funding and general revenue funds for maternal and child health.

The COVID-19 pandemic did not significantly impact overall trends or major causes of infant mortality such as prematurity and fetal malnutrition. From 2020 to 2022, COVID-19 was a factor in ten infant deaths in Illinois.

Improving maternal and infant health is one priority outlined in IDPH’s State Health Improvement Plan under Healthy Illinois 2028. The plan promotes comprehensive care systems for pregnant individuals throughout childbirth and infancy.

IDPH's strategies include supporting birthing hospitals through training programs, creating a statewide strategic plan with Birth Equity Resource Building Grants funded by $4 million from the state budget, ongoing data surveillance on fetal and infant mortality causes, home visiting programs for pregnant women and infants, and culturally accessible safe sleep programs like Illinois Safe Sleep Support.

Governor Pritzker's Birth Equity Initiative has invested around $23 million towards closing racial gaps in birth outcomes through various measures such as expanding home visiting services, funding community-birth centers, launching a diaper pilot program, adjusting Medicaid reimbursement rates, and introducing a child tax credit for families in poverty.

Further details on Illinois' infant mortality can be found on IDPH’s website.