Health department reports increase in 2022 infant mortality rate and preliminary 2023 data

Thursday, March 28, 2024 at 3:59 AM

The Indiana Department of Health released the 2022 infant mortality rate (IMR) and preliminary 2023 data.

The 2022 IMR is 7.2 per 1,000 live births, on trend with the national IMR, which also increased in 2022. Preliminary 2023 data shows a decrease in the IMR, at 6.5 deaths per 1,000 live births.

“Every baby lost is a tragedy,“ said State Health Commissioner Lindsay Weaver, MD, FACEP. “Although it’s preliminary, we are encouraged to see that infant mortality is declining in Indiana, and we’ll continue working to understand the causes of these deaths so even more can be prevented.”

Infant mortality is the death of a child before his or her first birthday and is measured by the number of infant deaths per 1,000 live births. The greatest contributing factor in 2022 was perinatal risks, or conditions related to the health and well-being of the mother. Other factors included lack of early prenatal care, stress, obesity and smoking. More details on Indiana’s 2022 IMR are available here.

The IDOH is releasing the preliminary 2023 data to help communities and organizations make timely and well informed public health decisions. The 2023 IMR is based on the same vital records systems and methodology used every year to calculate the rate. More in-depth analysis of the data will be available in the coming months.