The leading causes of infant death in the United States have been relatively stable in recent years. The death rate in the U.S. fell from 6.1 per 1,000 births in 2010 to 5.6 per 1,000 births in 2022.However, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported 20,538 infant deaths from any cause in 2022, which reflected an increase of 3% over the previous year.
While the top cause of infant death remains congenital defects, there are increases in infant deaths due to maternal complications of pregnancy. This is a focus of concern, particularly among pregnant Black people who facehealth disparitiesdue to many factors, including access to care.
1Congenital DefectsBlend Images / ERproductions Ltd / Getty ImagesCongenital defects, also known asbirth defects, occur while a fetus is still in the womb. Congenital defects can affect the way the body looks or functions and can range in severity from mild to life-threatening.Some defects, such ascleft palate, can be easily fixed with surgery. Others, such asDown syndrome,spina bifida, or congenital heart defects, may require lifelong care. Some congenital defects are so severe that achild is unable to survive.In 2022, 4,000 infants died of a congenital defect. The rate was 109.1 per 100,000 live births, with very little change from the previous year.Congenital Conditions and Diseases
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Congenital DefectsBlend Images / ERproductions Ltd / Getty ImagesCongenital defects, also known asbirth defects, occur while a fetus is still in the womb. Congenital defects can affect the way the body looks or functions and can range in severity from mild to life-threatening.Some defects, such ascleft palate, can be easily fixed with surgery. Others, such asDown syndrome,spina bifida, or congenital heart defects, may require lifelong care. Some congenital defects are so severe that achild is unable to survive.In 2022, 4,000 infants died of a congenital defect. The rate was 109.1 per 100,000 live births, with very little change from the previous year.Congenital Conditions and Diseases
Congenital Defects
Blend Images / ERproductions Ltd / Getty Images
Congenital defects, also known asbirth defects, occur while a fetus is still in the womb. Congenital defects can affect the way the body looks or functions and can range in severity from mild to life-threatening.
Some defects, such ascleft palate, can be easily fixed with surgery. Others, such asDown syndrome,spina bifida, or congenital heart defects, may require lifelong care. Some congenital defects are so severe that achild is unable to survive.
In 2022, 4,000 infants died of a congenital defect. The rate was 109.1 per 100,000 live births, with very little change from the previous year.
Congenital Conditions and Diseases
2Preterm Birth and Low Birth WeightFuse/Getty ImagesPreterm birth, also known as premature birth, is a birth that occurs before the 37th week of pregnancy. Low birth weight is defined as a birth weight of less than 2,500 grams (5 pounds, 8 ounces) regardless of the length of gestation.Premature babies often have trouble fighting infection because their immune systems aren’t yet fully formed. This can lead to an increased risk of pneumonia,sepsis(a blood infection), andmeningitis(infection of the membrane around the brain and spinal cord).Low birth weight can increase the risk of death due to immature organ development, particularly increasing the risk of respiratory distress or intraventricular hemorrhage, which is bleeding in and around the ventricles or the fluid-filled spaces of the brain.In 2022, 2,876 infants died as a result of preterm birth or low birth weight. The rate was 78.4 per 100,000 live births, a slight drop from the previous year.
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Preterm Birth and Low Birth WeightFuse/Getty ImagesPreterm birth, also known as premature birth, is a birth that occurs before the 37th week of pregnancy. Low birth weight is defined as a birth weight of less than 2,500 grams (5 pounds, 8 ounces) regardless of the length of gestation.Premature babies often have trouble fighting infection because their immune systems aren’t yet fully formed. This can lead to an increased risk of pneumonia,sepsis(a blood infection), andmeningitis(infection of the membrane around the brain and spinal cord).Low birth weight can increase the risk of death due to immature organ development, particularly increasing the risk of respiratory distress or intraventricular hemorrhage, which is bleeding in and around the ventricles or the fluid-filled spaces of the brain.In 2022, 2,876 infants died as a result of preterm birth or low birth weight. The rate was 78.4 per 100,000 live births, a slight drop from the previous year.
Preterm Birth and Low Birth Weight
Fuse/Getty Images
Preterm birth, also known as premature birth, is a birth that occurs before the 37th week of pregnancy. Low birth weight is defined as a birth weight of less than 2,500 grams (5 pounds, 8 ounces) regardless of the length of gestation.
Premature babies often have trouble fighting infection because their immune systems aren’t yet fully formed. This can lead to an increased risk of pneumonia,sepsis(a blood infection), andmeningitis(infection of the membrane around the brain and spinal cord).
Low birth weight can increase the risk of death due to immature organ development, particularly increasing the risk of respiratory distress or intraventricular hemorrhage, which is bleeding in and around the ventricles or the fluid-filled spaces of the brain.
In 2022, 2,876 infants died as a result of preterm birth or low birth weight. The rate was 78.4 per 100,000 live births, a slight drop from the previous year.
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Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS)
Lucy von Held/Getty Images
In 2022, 1,458 infants died as a result of SIDS. The rate of 39.8 per 100,000 live births was unchanged from the previous year.
What Is Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS)?
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Infant Accidents
ERproductions Ltd/Getty Images
In 2022, 1,349 infants died of unintentionally inflicted injuries, a rate of 36.8 per 100,000 live births. This was a 4% change over 2021.
Suffocation also affects certain groups disproportionately, with suffocation rates among Black infants significantly higher than in White or Latino infants.
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Pregnancy Complications
Robert Nystrom/Moment/Getty Images
These may include:
In 2022, 1,209 infants died as a direct result of maternal complications. The rate of 33 per 100,000 live births reflected a 9% spike from the previous year.
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Placenta and Umbilical Cord Complications
Deborah Morales/EyeEm/Getty Images
The placenta is an organ in the uterus that supplies the fetus with blood and nutrients needed for survival. The umbilical cord connects the mother to the fetus at the placenta, delivering oxygen and nutrients and taking away waste products, such as carbon dioxide.
Sometimes, complications affecting the placenta or umbilical cord can cause infant death.
Complications that affect the placenta and may lead to infant death include:
Placenta and umbilical cord complications accounted for 631 infant deaths in 2022, a rate of 17.2 per 100,000 live births, a decrease from the previous year.
7Other CausesThe remaining most common causes of infant death in 2022, according to the CDC, were:Bacterial sepsis: 637 deaths, a rate of 17.4 deaths per 100,000 live births—a rise of 14% over 2021Respiratory distress: 458 deaths, or 12.5 per 100,000 live birthsDiseases of the circulatory system: 358 deaths, or 9.8 per 100,000 live birthsNeonatal hemorrhage: 336 deaths, or 9.2 deaths per 100,000 live births
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Other CausesThe remaining most common causes of infant death in 2022, according to the CDC, were:Bacterial sepsis: 637 deaths, a rate of 17.4 deaths per 100,000 live births—a rise of 14% over 2021Respiratory distress: 458 deaths, or 12.5 per 100,000 live birthsDiseases of the circulatory system: 358 deaths, or 9.8 per 100,000 live birthsNeonatal hemorrhage: 336 deaths, or 9.2 deaths per 100,000 live births
Other Causes
The remaining most common causes of infant death in 2022, according to the CDC, were:
Summary
That said, more than 20,000 infants died in the United States in 2022, the year for which the most recent data was available at the time of this update. Congenital defects remain the No. 1 reason, but maternal health complications saw rising numbers.
Accidental deaths have been dropping overall, with Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) claiming more lives than accidents in recent years. Prevention has helped, though certain groups (Black children in particular) have had a higher risk for suffocation accidents than others.
7 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Matthews TJ, MacDorman MF.Infant mortality statistics from the 2010 period linked birth/infant death data set.Natl Vital Stat Rep. 2013;62(8).
Ely DM, Driscoll AK.Infant Mortality in the United States: provisional data from the 2022 period linked birth/infant death file. Vital Statistics Rapid Release; no 33. National Center for Health Statistics. 2023. doi:10.15620/cdc:133699
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Infant mortality.
Gordon SM, O’Connell AE.Inborn errors of immunity in the premature infant: challenges in recognition and diagnosis.Front Immunol. 2021;12:758373. doi:10.3389/fimmu.2021.758373
March of Dimes.Low birthweight.
West BA, Rudd RA, Sauber-Schatz EK, Ballesteros MF.Unintentional injury deaths in children and youth, 2010-2019.J Safety Res. 2021;78:322-330. doi:10.1016/j.jsr.2021.07.001
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