Ohio Infant Mortality Rates - 2023

Infant mortality is the death of an infant before his or her first birthday. The five leading causes of infant mortality include: birth defects; preterm birth and low birth weight; sudden infant death syndrome; unintentional injuries; and maternal pregnancy complications (CDC, 2022). States in the South and Midwest have the highest infant mortality rates. Preterm birth continues to be the leading cause of infant mortality (ODCY, 2023). Nationally, non-Hispanic Asians have the lowest rate at 3.5 per 1,000 live births and non-Hispanic Blacks have the highest rate at 10.9 per 1,000 live births (CDC, 2022).

In 2023, Ohio's infant mortality rate was 7.16 per 1,000 live births (ODYC, 2023). The national average was 5.6 deaths per 1,000 live births in 2022 (CDC, 2022). Both nationally and in Ohio, the non-Hispanic Black infant mortality rate is significantly higher than the national and state rate. Between 2019 and 2023, the non-Hispanic Black infant mortality rate was double or nearly double the non-Hispanic white mortality rate, making the chance of death 2.4 times higher for non-Hispanic Black infants than for non-Hispanic white infants.