Infant and Fetal Mortality Rates by Maternal Race and Hispanic Origin

Linked birth, infant death, and fetal death records from the U.S. National Vital Statistics System provide infant, neonatal, postneonatal, fetal, and perinatal mortality rates. The data is categorized by detailed race and Hispanic origin of the mother. Published by the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, the dataset was last updated in April 2025.

Use Cases

• Analyze disparities in infant mortality rates across detailed maternal race and Hispanic origin categories.
• Compare trends in fetal death rates relative to live birth outcomes using linked vital statistics.
• Study perinatal mortality patterns by maternal demographic characteristics from the National Vital Statistics System.

Strengths

• Data originates from the authoritative U.S. National Vital Statistics System, a primary source for vital event data.
• Covers multiple mortality categories (infant, neonatal, postneonatal, fetal, perinatal) for detailed analysis.
• Includes breakdowns by detailed race and Hispanic origin of the mother, enabling equity-focused research.

Limitations

• Specific row counts, column definitions, and sample sizes are not provided in the input, limiting initial assessment of data scale and granularity.
• Users must consult external PDF or Excel documentation for critical details on measures, definitions, and changes over time.

Provenance

Source

NCHS, National Vital Statistics System, public-use Linked Birth/Infant Death Data Set, public-use Fetal Death File, and public-use Birth File.

Collection Method

Compiled from U.S. vital statistics records.

Freshness

Data was last updated on April 23, 2025.

Geography

United States