Prairie State Wire

The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) has published a report indicating a decline in the state's infant mortality rate. The rate fell to 5.6 deaths per 1,000 live births in 2021 from 6.5 per 1,000 in 2018. Despite this improvement, the report highlights ongoing racial disparities in infant health outcomes.

Governor JB Pritzker has prioritized addressing these disparities, allocating over $23 million in the state budget for initiatives aimed at improving birth outcomes. Illinois is slightly above the national infant mortality rate of 5.4 but aims to meet the Healthy People 2030 target of reducing it to 5.0 or lower by the year 2030.

"The health of a newborn baby during their first year of life is a critical indicator of the overall health of our society," stated IDPH Director Dr. Sameer Vohra. He emphasized that while progress is being made, significant racial and ethnic disparities persist.

In Illinois, leading causes of infant death include prematurity effects, fetal malnutrition, birth defects, sudden unexpected infant death (SUID), and pregnancy/delivery complications—accounting for nearly 70% of such deaths.

A stark disparity exists between infants born to non-Hispanic Black women and those born to White, Hispanic, and Asian women; Black infants are nearly three times more likely to die before their first birthday than their counterparts from other racial groups.

The COVID-19 pandemic did not significantly affect overall trends or major causes of infant mortality like prematurity and fetal malnutrition. However, provisional data shows COVID-19 was a factor in ten infant deaths between 2020 and 2022.

Efforts under IDPH’s State Health Improvement Plan include supporting birthing hospitals with regionalized perinatal systems and creating strategic plans funded by $4 million for community-based reproductive healthcare providers.

Dr. Vohra noted that maternal and infant health remains one of five priority areas within the Healthy Illinois 2028 Plan which seeks comprehensive care support for pregnant individuals throughout childbirth and infancy stages.

Additional information about these initiatives can be found on IDPH's website.