U.S. Preterm Infant Mortality Rate Down By 30% Between 1995 & 2020

The average mortality rate among premature children born in the United States declined by about 30% between 1995 and 2020. It fell from 33.71 per 1,000 in 1995-1997, to 23.32 per 1,000 in 2018-2020. However, despite the overall improvement, disparities persisted among racial and ethnic minorities and among those with socioeconomic disadvantages. Mortality rates were higher among premature infants whose mothers received inadequate prenatal care.

Black non-Hispanic infants were more likely to die following preterm births in 2018-2020 than White non-Hispanic infants, at 31.09 per 1,000 compared to 21 . . .