SIDS And the Babies It Affects All Over the World

Hi, I am Troyleena and I chose the topic on SIDS. This topic is meaningful to me, because I read all the time how precious little babies pass on to Glory, because of SIDS. I have seen women who were successful with great lives fall by the waste side, when they lost their little ones to SIDS.  Though in most cases it is from natural causes; with the high increase use of drugs before and during pregnancy, smoking increase in women before and during pregnancy and lack of prenatal care for babies during development, it is not a wonder that morality rates are on the rise, especially in the U. S.  I have been blessed that none of my children have died at birth, and that I had no miscarriages, no abortions etc; but the fact still remains that even sometimes with the best of care, some babies just do not make it and a the pain is felt all over the world.

 The information listed below gives an in depth overview of SIDS, preventive measures to reduce SIDS, SIDS in minority women, statistical charts of comparing morality in the U.S versus other countries and ways to plan prior to pregnancy to decrease the chance of SIDS.  I hope and pray that those reading find something that interest them in the reading.

The way that I see the information impacting my future work, is basically educating me on ways to properly handle children. Ways to ensure prior sleeping measures in a facility or in home care, and being aware of what things to ask, and note in regards to children, so that the risks are decreased.  Care providers try to do their job to the best of their ability, and though a lot of pressure is placed on them, I can say as a mom, I would rather be honest of front and let my provider know important information, if I have smoked during pregnancy, if I continue to smoke, health risk etc, so that they can sort of safe guard the child and provide good care to meet that child's need.  I do not see that as discrimination, I see it as a way to help another family not have to face the news that their little one is no longer with us, something that no mother or father should have to endure.

What is SIDS?

Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), formerly known as 'cot death', refers to the sudden unexpected death of a baby from no known cause. I have put together this fact sheet on SIDS to help prevent other families experiencing the grief my family did, when I lost my brother to SIDS. The number of babies dying of SIDS is dropping and this is due to the SIDS researchers all over the world educating parents and carers to always place a baby on her back to sleep with her face and head uncovered and keeping her in a smoke free environment. To give you an example of the help the education is doing the Australian Bureau of Statistics shows that 500 babies died of SIDS in 1989 and in 2003 the number had reduced to 73 babies. So please read the information given in this fact sheet and let's help the number decrease even further.

SIDS is the most common cause of death in babies between one month and one year of age but the majority of babies who die of SIDS are under six months of age. More babies die of SIDS in winter than summer. To this day, the cause of SIDS remains unknown and there is no way of predicting which babies it will affect. However, what has been discovered is that some factors are thought to reduce the risk of SIDS. Since parents were first made aware of these factors through the various educational programs introduced by SIDS researchers, SIDS deaths have dropped and continue to drop.

Babies and young children spend a lot of their time sleeping, so you need to be aware that some sleeping arrangements are not safe and can increase the risk of SIDS or cause fatal sleeping accidents. Research has found some important ways to reduce the risk of SIDS and create a safe sleeping environment for babies and young children. This fact sheet provides you with information to help you create such an environment for your baby or child.

Eradicate Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) Now!

SIDS - Sudden Infant Death Syndrome - is a tragic way for infants to die. The medical establishment seems to have no idea what causes it. Apparently healthy infants just suddenly die in their sleep, with no apparent warning. Two out of every thousand live-born infants die of this syndrome.

Cause Unknown or Cause Ignored?

But is the cause really unknown, or has it been ignored and marginalized? In the 1970s, an Australian doctor named Archie Kalokerinos volunteered to serve the Aboriginal people in the opal mining region of Australia. He found that an astonishing 50% of infants were dying, primarily from SIDS. He noted that the people and their infants were almost completely deficient of vitamin C in their diet, and began a supplementation program. Before long the infant mortality rate had dropped to near zero, and no child subsequently died of SIDS. In 1978, Dr. Irwin Stone, one of the doctors who pioneered research in vitamin C, reported this in a paper presented at the Conference On Controversies In Human And Clinical Nutrition that SIDS was in fact a result of what he called Chronic Subclinical Scurvy (vitamin C deficiency):

The Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) or Crib Death, has been shown by the Australian workers, A. Kalokerinos and G. Dettman, to be a manifestation of infantile scurvy, due to the fact that all infants, born of mothers who depended solely on their diet as their only source of ascorbate, are born with the CSS Syndrome after nine months of intrauterine scurvy (Stone. 1978). SIDS can be prevented by increasing the infant’s intake of ascorbate (Cook, 1978). This has been known and published since 1974 (Kalokerinos, 1974). (Irwin Stone, Eight Decades of Scurvy - The Case History of a Misleading Dietary Hypothesis, 1978).

Many of these infants were dying after receiving government-mandated vaccinations. Dr. Thomas Levy writes:

Vaccinations also generally present some degree of toxin insult to the body. Kalokerinos (1981) observed that vitamin C-deficient Aboriginal infants were often placed into an acute state of scurvy because of the additional vitamin C demands placed on their bodies by the vaccination injections, resulting in sudden death. (Thomas E. Levy, MD, JD, Vitamin C, Infectious Diseases, & Toxins – Curing The Incurable, 2002).

Dr. Kalokerinos wrote about his experience in his first book "Every Second Child," and with the help of other physicians organized a national tour of the U.S. with the other physician who worked with him on vitamin C and SIDS, Dr. Glen Dettman. But the medical profession here and the NIH marginalized and ignored his work.

Fast-forward to 2004. Here we are, thirty years after two courageous doctors found the root cause - and cure - for SIDS. Tens of thousands of infants have died unnecessarily, and more infant deaths seem inevitable. These are tragic deaths that were and are totally preventable. But doctors all over the world are still looking for an elusive cause, there are hundreds of SIDS research sites and support networks, and no one is talking about the vitamin C connection or doing anything about it, with the exception of a few doctors who have been using large-dose vitamin C for years such as Robert Cathcart of Los Altos, California. The medical establishment just refuses to believe that this syndrome could be caused by a simple nutrient deficiency.

Large Amounts of Vitamin C Essential for Health

Vitamin C - an essential nutrient more accurately called ascorbate - is needed by the human body in large quantities for literally dozens of metabolic processes, from tissue repair to recycling of cholesterol to neutralization of free radicals and toxins to the building of antibodies and white blood cells. Most animals - other than humans, primates, guinea pigs, and a couple of rare animals - produce their own vitamin C in large amounts from glucose (a simple sugar found in blood), either in their liver (mammals) or their kidneys (reptiles).

The optimum dose for all of these metabolic processes is about 200-1000 mg per 10 lbs of body weight, depending on the level of stress, activity, environmental toxins, and general health. We "use up" vitamin C faster if we work in a stressful job, exercise heavily, are exposed to toxins, or if we are ill.

If we do not ingest any vitamin C, we get scurvy; we need vitamin C to repair normal microscopic wear and tear of the walls of our arteries, and when they cannot be repaired, they hemorrhage. We literally bleed to death internally.

But what happens if we get some, but not enough? The "Recommended Daily Allowance" of vitamin C is a small fraction of the amount we - and infants - really need. Many metabolic processes will be compromised, but the outward signs won't be obvious. Artery wall repair will happen more slowly, and the human body compensates for this deficiency with a sticky plaque called lipoprotein(a) - the root cause of cardiovascular disease. Antibodies and white blood cells will be built incorrectly or not at all. Cholesterol, needed for nutrient transport, will not be recycled properly.

For infants, this is deadly. Their little bodies have very little reserves to draw upon. Without sufficient vitamin C, their immune systems and arteries are fragile. A single stressful event, a minor fall, a vaccination, a toxic exposure, or a simple virus or bacterial illness could tip the balance and kill them. Metabolic failure, heart failure, toxic trauma to vital organs, hemorrhage - it could happen dozens of ways. Sudden death, with no warning. SIDS.

 

We Can Eradicate SIDS

It's now time to eradicate this syndrome once and for all. It is time to supplement every child's diet with a minimum of 200 mg of vitamin C per day for each 10 lbs of body weight, and more - up to 1000 mg  per day for each 10 lbs of body weight - for children who are ill or whose immune systems are compromised. For example, you would give a newborn infant (7-10 lbs) a minimum of about 150-200 mg per day.

If a child is ill or stressed, his or her body uses far more than that. It is easy to find out how much vitamin C a child really needs - too much causes a non-harmful, temporary diarrhea, and you just reduce the dosage until the diarrhea subsides. This is called the "bowel tolerance dose" by Dr. Robert Cathcart, who has been treating his patients with large-dosage vitamin C for more than twenty-five years.

Vitamin C that is usable for children is available in liquid form (such as Child-Life Vitamin C liquid) from many health food stores or online. Do not use varieties sweetened with honey or containing a lot of ingredients. Spread out the daily dose in three divided doses. Measure it carefully and mix it with pasteurized orange juice to give it to your child.

Pregnant mothers need to take vitamin C to provide enough to their babies in the womb, using the same formula of 200 mg per 10 lbs of body weight, or about 3000-4000 mg per day, in divided doses, for an adult of typical weight. You should take much more - up to your "bowel tolerance dose" - if you are ill or under stress. Vitamin C deficiency can affect the normal development of the child, so it is important to use supplemental vitamin C during pregnancy and starting immediately after the child is born.

Here's how to do the calculation: take your body weight or the weight of your child, divide by 10, and then multiply by 200 mg to get the minimum dose of vitamin C. So for a child who weighs 20 lbs, you divide 20 by 10, result 2, then multiply by 200, result 400 mg per day minimum dose. For an adult who weighs 150 lbs, divide by 10, result 15, then multiply by 200, result 3000 mg per day minimum dose.

For increased dosage if the child is ill or his or her immune system is compromised, you can provide up to 100-200 mg per 10 lbs of body weight for each individual dose, up to 5 doses per day, checking for bowel tolerance: if diarrhea occurs, reduce dosage until it subsides and then continue with a reduced dosage. Vitamin C can save the child's life in cases of severe influenza or pneumonia. (Always confer with a competent pediatrician if a child is severely ill! It is important to find a pediatrician who believes in vitamin C, so that if the child is hospitalized they will continue with vitamin C supplementation.) Once the child is well, gradually reduce vitamin C to the dosage you use regularly.

For vaccinations: In general, I recommend that parents seriously consider not vaccinating their children, and certainly never to vaccinate against hepatitis B, because the vaccine has a horrific reputation for harming children, and hepatitis B is both extremely rare and also quite curable. Vaccines in general contain both live (but "attenuated") viruses and a brew of toxic chemicals and preservatives, sometimes including mercury (thimerosal). This places a huge burden on the child's immune system, and quickly depletes vitamin C. Many SIDS victims have died shortly after vaccinations.

If you decide to vaccinate your child, increase the vitamin C dose dramatically several hours before and for several days after the vaccination to prevent vitamin C depletion and so that the child's immune and detoxification systems will have a chance to kill the viruses and neutralize the toxins. Demand non-thimerosal, single-dose, single-virus vaccines; the multiple-virus vaccines such as DPT and MMP have the worst reputations regarding harm to infants. Tetanus is probably the only disease for which there is any real justification for vaccination.

Is Vitamin C safe in these doses?

Vitamin C is safe in literally any amounts. As mentioned above, it is an essential nutrient needed in large quantities for dozens of metabolic processes. Many people, including this author, have taken very large doses of vitamin C for many years without any side effects, and live healthier lives as a result. 100,000 mg to 300,000 mg amounts have been given intravenously to people who are very ill with AIDS and other illnesses, with no adverse effects. It does not cause kidney stones, heart disease, or cancer; as a matter of fact, it prevents them. The pharmaceutical industry and its allies have gotten the media to spread false warnings about large-dose vitamin C to the media, and the refutations by prominent researchers and clinicians are never printed.

Eradicate SIDS Now!

Let's make SIDS history! If you are pregnant or you have an infant or older child, please begin vitamin C supplementation now. A Microsoft Word version of this article is available at http://www.cqs.com/sids.doc for public distribution. Please print, copy, send, and distribute this printable document widely, to your friends and relatives who have children, to everyone you know.

Jonathan Campbell, Health Consultant

January 15, 2004

References:

Kalokerinos Archie, Every Second Child. Thomas Nelson (Australia) Ltd., Melbourne, 1974.

Kalokerinos Archie, Medical Pioneer of the 20th Century. Biological Therapies Publishing, 2000

Levy Thomas, Vitamin C, Infectious Diseases, & Toxins - Curing the Incurable. Xlibris, 2002.

Hattersley J, The Answer to Crib Death “Sudden Infant Death Syndrome” (SIDS), Journal of Orthomolecular Medicine Volume 8, Number 4, 1993, pp.229-245

Stone I, Eight Decades of Scurvy - The Case History of a Misleading Dietary Hypothesis, presentation at the Conference On Controversies In Human And Clinical Nutrition, Boston University School of Medicine, Hyannis, Massachusetts. July 16, 1978

Minority Women's Health

Health conditions common in Native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islander women:

Accidents Alcoholism and drug abuse Asthma Breast cancer Cancer Cervical cancer Diabetes Heart disease Hepatitis B High blood pressure High cholesterol HIV/AIDS Infant death Lupus Mental health problems and suicide Osteoporosis Overweight and obesity Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) Smoking Stroke Tuberculosis (TB) Violence

Infant death

·         More information on infant death

Infant death is hard to understand. It can bring anger, pain, sadness, and confusion. And, experts still don't understand all the causes of infant death. Some of the causes include:

• Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS)
• Born preterm or with low birth weight
• Birth defects
• Problems during pregnancy
• Accidents

NCHS Data Brief

Number 9, October 2008

Recent Trends in Infant Mortality in the United States

On this Page

• Key findings
• What is the recent trend in infant mortality
• How does the United States compare with other developed countries in infant mortality?
• Are there differences in infant mortality rates between racial and ethnic groups?
• Has the percentage of preterm births (an important risk factor for infant mortality) increased from 2000 to 2005?
• How has the increase in preterm births affected the U.S. infant mortality rate?
• What is the impact of preterm-related causes of death?
• Summary
• Definitions
• Data source and methods
• About the authors
• References
• Suggested citation

PDF Version (1 MB)

by Marian F. MacDorman, Ph.D., and T.J. Mathews M.S.

Key findings

Data from the Linked Birth/Infant Death Data Set and Preliminary Mortality Data File, National Vital Statistics System

• The U.S. infant mortality rate did not decline from 2000 to 2005.
• Data from the preliminary mortality file suggest a 2% decline in the infant mortality rate from 2005 to 2006.
• The U.S. infant mortality rate is higher than those in most other developed countries, and the gap between the U.S. infant mortality rate and the rates for the countries with the lowest infant mortality appears to be widening.
• The infant mortality rate for non-Hispanic black women was 2.4 times the rate for non-Hispanic white women. Rates were also elevated for Puerto Rican and American Indian or Alaska Native women.
• Increases in preterm birth and preterm-related infant mortality account for much of the lack of decline in the United States’ infant mortality rate from 2000 to 2005.

Infant mortality is one of the most important indicators of the health of a nation, as it is associated with a variety of factors such as maternal health, quality and access to medical care, socioeconomic conditions, and public health practices. The U.S. infant mortality rate generally declined throughout the 20th century. In 1900, the U.S. infant mortality rate was approximately 100 infant deaths per 1,000 live births, while in 2000, the rate was 6.89 infant deaths per 1,000 live births. However, the U.S. infant mortality rate did not decline significantly from 2000 to 2005, which has generated concern among researchers and policy makers.

Keywords: Infant mortality, trends, race and ethnicity, preterm birth, international comparisons

What is the recent trend in infant mortality?

In 2005, the U.S. infant mortality rate was 6.86 infant deaths per 1,000 live births, not significantly different than the rate of 6.89 in 2000, based on data from the linked birth/infant death data set (1,2).



Data from the preliminary mortality file estimate an infant mortality rate of 6.71 for 2006 (3), a 2% decline from the final rate in 2005.

The 2000-2005 plateau in the U.S. infant mortality rate represents the first period of sustained lack of decline in the U.S. infant mortality rate since the 1950s.

The Healthy People 2010 target goal for the U.S. infant mortality rate is 4.5 infant deaths per 1,000 live births (4). The current U.S. rate is about 50% higher than the goal.

The impact of infant mortality is considerable: There are more than 28,000 deaths to children under 1 year of age each year in the United States.

How does the United States compare with other developed countries in infant mortality?

In 2004 (the latest year that data are available for all countries), the United States ranked 29th in the world in infant mortality, tied with Poland and Slovakia (5).



See Table 25 in Health, United States, 2007.

Infant mortality rates were generally lowest (below 3.5 per 1,000) in selected Scandinavian (Sweden, Norway, and Finland) and East Asian (Japan, Hong Kong, and Singapore) countries. In 2004, 22 countries had infant mortality rates below 5.0 (5).

The United States' international ranking fell from 12th in 1960 to 23d in 1990, and to 29th in 2004 (5).

International comparisons of infant mortality can be affected by differences in reporting of fetal and infant deaths. However, it appears unlikely that differences in reporting are the primary explanation for the United States’ relatively low international ranking.

Are there differences in infant mortality rates between racial and ethnic groups?

In 2005, there was a more than threefold difference in infant mortality rates by race and ethnicity, from a high of 13.63 for non-Hispanic black women to a low of 4.42 for Cuban women.



Infant mortality rates were above the U.S. average for non-Hispanic black, Puerto Rican (8.30), and American Indian or Alaska Native (8.06) women.

These differences may relate in part to differences in risk factors for infant mortality such as preterm and low birthweight delivery, socioeconomic status, access to medical care, etc. However, many of the racial and ethnic differences in infant mortality remain unexplained.

The infant mortality rate did not change significantly for any race/ethnicity group from 2000 to 2005.

The only race/ethnicity group to achieve the Healthy People 2010 target goal (4.5) as of 2005 was the Cuban population (4.42).

Has the percentage of preterm births (an important risk factor for infant mortality) increased from 2000 to 2005?

Preterm birth (births at less than 37 completed weeks of gestation) is a key risk factor for infant death. The percentage of preterm births has increased rapidly in the United States in recent years. From 2000 to 2005, the percentage of preterm births increased from 11.6% to 12.7%-a 9% increase.



From 2000 to 2005, increases occurred for each preterm gestational age grouping. For example, the percentage of very preterm births (less than 32 weeks of gestation) increased by 5%-from 1.93% in 2000 to 2.03% in 2005.

From 2000 to 2005, the increase was most rapid for infants born in the late preterm period (34-36 weeks of gestation). The percentage of late preterm births increased by 11%-from 8.2% in 2000 to 9.1% in 2005.

The overall percentage of preterm births has increased in the United States since the mid-1980s. Although a portion of the increase is due to increases in multiple births, the percentage of preterm births also increased among single births (6).

How has the increase in preterm births affected the U.S. infant mortality rate?

In 2005, 68.6% of all infant deaths occurred to preterm infants, up from 65.6% in 2000.

Very preterm infants accounted for only 2% of births, but over one-half of all infant deaths in both 2000 and 2005. Because the majority of infant deaths occur to very preterm infants, changes in either the percentage of these infants or in their infant mortality rate can have a large impact on the overall infant mortality rate.

The infant mortality rate for very preterm infants was 183.24 infant deaths per 1,000 live births in 2005, not significantly different from the rate in 2000 (180.94), halting a long-term decline (1,2).

The plateau in the U.S. infant mortality rate from 2000 to 2005 was largely due to the combination of the increase in the percentage of very preterm births and the lack of decline in the infant mortality rate for these births. However, the increase in the percentage of late preterm births has also had an impact. In 2005, the infant mortality rate for late preterm births was three times that for term births (37-41 weeks) (1)

What is the impact of preterm-related causes of death?

In 2005, 36.5% of infant deaths in the United States were due to preterm-related causes of death, a 5% increase since 2000 (34.6%). Preterm-related causes were those where the cause of death was a direct consequence of preterm birth, and 75% or more of total infant deaths attributed to that cause were preterm (7).



From 2000 to 2005, the percentage of infant deaths from preterm-related causes increased significantly for non-Hispanic white, non-Hispanic black, Asian or Pacific Islander, and Mexican mothers.

The impact of preterm-related infant mortality was high for all racial and ethnic groups. However, some groups were disproportionately affected. For example, nearly half (46%) of infant deaths to non-Hispanic black women, and 41% of infant deaths to Puerto Rican women were preterm-related, compared with 32% for non-Hispanic white women.

Summary

Despite the dramatic decline in infant mortality during the 20th century, the U.S. infant mortality rate appears to have plateaued in the first few years of the 21st century.

The U.S. infant mortality rate is higher than rates in most other developed countries. The relative position of the United States in comparison to countries with the lowest infant mortality rates, appears to be worsening. In 2004, the United States ranked 29th in the world in infant mortality, tied with Poland and Slovakia. Previously, the United States’ international ranking in infant mortality was 12th in 1960 and 23d in 1990.

There are large differences in infant mortality rates by race and ethnicity. Non-Hispanic black, American Indian or Alaska Native, and Puerto Rican women have the highest infant mortality rates; rates are lowest for Asian or Pacific Islander, Central and South American, and Cuban women.

Preterm birth has a considerable impact on the U.S. infant mortality rate. The plateau in the U.S. infant mortality rate from 2000 to 2005 is due to an increase in the percentage of infants born preterm (including very preterm and late preterm), together with a lack of decline in the infant mortality rate for very preterm infants. There has also been an increase in the relative impact of preterm-related causes of death. In 2005, 36.5% of infant deaths in the United States were due to preterm-related causes of death, a 5% increase since 2000. The impact of preterm-related causes of death was even higher for non-Hispanic black and Puerto Rican women.

Definitions

• Infant death: Death of an infant before his or her first birthday.
• Infant mortality rate: Number of infant deaths per 1,000 live births.
• Preterm birth: Birth before 37 completed weeks of gestation.
• Very preterm birth: Birth before 32 completed weeks of gestation.
• Late preterm birth: Birth from 34 to 36 completed weeks of gestation.
• Term birth: Birth from 37 to 41 completed weeks of gestation.
• Preterm-related causes of death: Causes of death were considered preterm-related when the cause was considered to be a direct consequence of preterm birth based on a clinical evaluation and review of the literature, and when 75% or more of total infant deaths attributed to that cause were to preterm infants.

Data source and methods

This report contains data from the linked birth/infant death data set and the preliminary mortality file, both of which are part of the National Vital Statistics System. The linked birth/infant death data set is the premier data source for analyzing infant mortality trends and patterns in the United States. In the linked birth/infant death data set, information from the birth certificate is linked to information from the death certificate for each infant less than 1 year of age who dies in the United States. The purpose of the linkage is to use the many additional variables available from the birth certificate to conduct more detailed analyses of infant mortality patterns. The linked birth/infant death data set is particularly useful for computing accurate infant mortality rates by race and ethnicity because the race and ethnicity of the mother from the birth certificate is used in both the numerator and denominator of the infant mortality rate. The race and ethnicity from the birth certificate is generally provided by the mother at the time of delivery, and is considered to be more accurate than race and ethnicity from the death certificate that is provided by an informant, or in the absence of an informant, by observation. Linked birth/infant death data sets are available from NCHS: Vital Statistics Online.

The report also uses data from the 2006 preliminary mortality file, which is available sooner than the linked birth/infant death data, but does not contain information on birth characteristics.

About the authors

Marian F. MacDorman and T.J. Mathews are with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Center for Health Statistics, Division of Vital Statistics, Reproductive Statistics Branch.

References

1. Mathews TJ, MacDorman MF. Infant mortality from the 2005 period linked birth/infant death data set. National vital statistics reports, vol 57 no 3. Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics. 2008.
2. Mathews TJ, MacDorman MF. Infant mortality from the 2000 period linked birth/infant death data set. National vital statistics reports, vol 50 no 12. Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics. 2002.
3. Heron MP, Hoyert DL, Xu J, et al. Deaths, Preliminary data for 2006. National vital statistics reports, vol 56 no 16. Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics. 2008.
4. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Healthy People 2010, 2nd ed. With Understanding and Improving Health and Objectives for Improving Health, 2 vols. Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office, November 2000.
5. National Center for Health Statistics. Health, United States, 2007 with Chartbook on Trends in the Health of Americans. Hyattsville, MD: 2007
6. Martin JA, Hamilton BE, Sutton PD, et al. Births: Final data for 2005. National vital statistics reports; vol 56 no 6. Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics. 2007.
7. MacDorman MF, Callaghan WM, Mathews TJ, et al. Trends in preterm-related infant mortality by race and ethnicity, United States, 1999-2004. International Journal of Health Services 37:635-641. 2007.

Suggested citation

MacDorman MF, Mathews TJ. Recent Trends in Infant Mortality in the United States. NCHS data brief, no 9. Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics. 2008.

Copyright information

All material appearing in this report is in the public domain and may be reproduced or copied without permission; citation as to source, however, is appreciated.

National Center for Health Statistics

Director

Edward J. Sondik, Ph.D.

Acting Co-Deputy Directors

Jennifer H. Madans, Ph.D.
Michael H. Sadagursky

The infant death rate for Native Hawaiians in 2002 was twice as high as the rate for all Asian-American and Pacific Islander groups combined.

Although we don't always know the reasons why some babies die, we do know steps a woman can take to lower her baby's risk of health problems and infant death. These steps begin before you even become pregnant. Before pregnancy, talk to your doctor about:

• Family planning and birth control. The chances of having a safe pregnancy and healthy baby are best when pregnancy is planned.
• Taking folic acid. All women who can become pregnant need 400–800 micrograms of folic acid every day.
• Vaccines (shots) or tests you may need.
• Managing any health conditions you may have, such as diabetes or high blood pressure.
• Ways to improve your overall health.
• Medicines you use, including prescription, over-the-counter, and herbal drugs and supplements.
• How to avoid illness.
• Health problems that run in your or your partner's family.
• Problems you have had with prior pregnancies.

Your health before pregnancy is called preconception health. It means knowing how health conditions and risk factors could affect you or your unborn baby if you become pregnant. By taking action on health issues and risks before pregnancy, you can lower the risk of problems that might affect you or your baby later.

Did you know?

Women in every state can get help paying for prenatal care. Call 800-311-BABY to connect
with the health department in your state.

During pregnancy, regular prenatal care also will help keep you and your baby healthy. See your doctor as soon as you know you are pregnant. Don't drink alcohol, smoke, or use drugs, which can harm your unborn baby. Only use medicines your doctor says are okay.

Once your baby is born, you and anyone who cares for your baby can take these steps to lower the risk of SIDS:

• Place your baby on his or her back to sleep, even for short naps. "Tummy time" is for when babies are awake and someone is watching.
• Use a firm sleep surface, such as a crib mattress covered with a fitted sheet.
• Keep soft objects and loose bedding away from sleep area.
• Make sure babies don't get too hot. Keep the room at a temperature that is comfortable for an adult.

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More information on infant death

Read more from womenshealth.gov

• Prenatal Care Fact Sheet— This fact sheet provides information on prenatal care. It includes how to prepare for getting pregnant in the future, how to help lower the risk of birth defects, and what to expect when visiting your doctor.

http://www.womenshealth.gov/publications/our-publications/fact-sheet/prenatal-care.cfm

Explore other publications and websites

• Infant Mortality and Asians and Pacific Islanders — This fact sheet provides statistics of infant mortality issues such as sudden infant death syndrome and maternal complications within the Asian and Pacific Islander community. It also divides the infant mortality ratios into differing demographic factors, including age group and education level.

http://www.omhrc.gov/templates/content.aspx?ID=3067

• Recent Trends in Infant Mortality in the United States — This resource provides information on trends in infant mortality in the United States and compares the statistics to other countries. It also features tables that include demographic information such as education and age.

http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/databriefs/db09.htm

• Safe Sleep for Your Baby: Reduce the Risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) — This publication explains what sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) is and what you should know about it. Also, it provides 10 tips to help reduce your baby's risk of SIDS and an explanation of why it is safer for babies to sleep on their back.

http://www.nichd.nih.gov/publications/pubs/safe_sleep_gen.cfm

• The Death of a Child, the Grief of the Parents: A Lifetime Journey (Copyright © National Sudden and Unexpected Infant/Child Death & Pregnancy Loss) — This publication guides parents through the grieving process and helps readers understand the magnitude of the effects of a loss. It includes special sections, such as "From One Bereaved Parent to Another," that allow readers to feel support through this difficult time.

http://www.sidscenter.org/Bereavement/LifetimeJourney.html

• Understanding SIDS (Copyright © American Lung Association) — This resource explains what sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) is and identifies risk factors. It also includes a table of the rates of SIDS deaths in different racial/ethnic groups.

http://www.lungusa.org/lung-disease/sudden-infant-death-syndrome/understanding-sids.html