Mississippi declares public health emergency over rising infant mortality rate
The infant mortality rate in Mississippi is higher than it's been in more than a decade
By Deidre McPhillips, CNN
(CNN) — The Mississippi health department declared a public health emergency Thursday over rising infant mortality rates in the state.
There were 9.7 deaths for every 1,000 births in Mississippi in 2024, the highest rate in more than a decade, according to a news release from the state health department. More than 3,500 babies in Mississippi have died before the age of 1 since 2014.
“Every single infant loss represents a family devastated, a community impacted and a future cut short. We cannot and will not accept these numbers as our reality. Declaring this a public health emergency is more than a policy decision; it is an urgent commitment to save lives,” State Health Officer Dr. Dan Edney said in the release.
An emergency declaration creates certain opportunities for mobilizing resources to address an issue. The state health department’s strategy includes activating a standardized system for maternal and infant care, eliminating maternity care deserts, expanding access to resources for mothers and babies through community health worker programs and home visits, and education on safe sleep practices.
“Improving maternal health is the best way to reduce infant mortality,” Edney said. “That means better access to prenatal and postpartum care, stronger community support and more resources for moms and babies. Healthy women of childbearing age are more likely to have healthy pregnancies, which in turn lead to healthier babies.”
About a third of US counties do not have a single obstetric clinician, according to a report released last year by the infant and maternal health nonprofit March of Dimes. In Mississippi, nearly half of all counties are considered maternity care deserts, according to the organization.
“The Mississippi Department of Health’s declaration of a public health emergency in response to infant mortality is a painful reminder of the maternal and infant health crisis facing our nation,” Cindy Rahman, March of Dimes’ president and CEO, said in a statement. “Although Mississippi accounts for less than 1% of US births, the state accounts for more than 1.6% of all infant deaths. These losses should be a wake-up call to the nation. March of Dimes supports Mississippi’s public health leadership for raising attention to this critical issue and outlining key strategies to improve birth outcomes in the state.”
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is expected to release its own data on infant mortality later this year, but the Mississippi health department said that it “recognized the urgency of this crisis and could not wait to take action.”
The latest available data from the CDC shows that that the national infant mortality rate rose for the first time in 20 years in 2022. Mississippi had the highest infant mortality of all 50 states that year, more than 60% higher than the national average.
The leading causes of infant mortality in Mississippi are congenital malformations, preterm birth, low birth weight and sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), according to the state’s news release, in line with CDC data on the top causes nationwide. Black babies in Mississippi are particularly vulnerable, with more than 15 deaths for every 1,000 live births in 2024 – a 24% jump in one year over already higher-than-average rates.
Recent research has drawn some possible connections between infant mortality and abortion restrictions. A CNN investigative report found that infant mortality spiked in Texas after a six-week abortion ban took effect in 2021, and a study published in October suggests that the impacts of the bans and restrictions enacted by some states since the US Supreme Court Dobbs decision that revoked the federal right to an abortion have been large enough to affect broader trends – hundreds more infants died than expected in the US in the year and a half after that decision.
March of Dimes also emphasized the “critical” importance of protecting Medicaid to support the health care of newborns and their mothers.
“Medicaid covers nearly 53% of births in Mississippi and 40% nationwide, making it a critical lifeline for moms and babies. Any cuts or restrictions will only make this crisis worse,” Rahman said. “The United States is among the most dangerous developed nations for childbirth. We cannot afford to move backward.”
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