Nearly 28,000 U.S. Infants Died in 2004 WHITE PLAINS, N.Y., May
2, 2007 - Preterm birth contributes to more than one-third of
all infant deaths, according to the National Vital Statistics
report released today. Although the national infant mortality
rate is the lowest it's been since the U.S. started collecting
data a century ago, there's been little change recently - 6.78
deaths for every 1,000 live births in 2004 compared to 6.89 in
2000, the National Center for Health Statistics report found.
The report, "Infant Mortality Statistics from the 2004 Period
Linked Birth/Infant Death Data Set" includes a new analysis
tracking preterm birth-related infant deaths. The analysis,
first published in the October 2006 edition of Pediatrics, found
preterm birth contributes to nearly twice as many infant deaths
within the first year of life than previously estimated. "We
have long known babies born too soon face many developmental
challenges - even death," said Joann Petrini, Ph.D., director of
the March of Dimes Perina