U.S. infant mortality rates may be leveling off 

The infant mortality rate has stayed roughly the same since 2013, according to new CDC data. More than 22,300 infants died in the U.S. in 2017, when the mortality rate was roughly six deaths per 1,000 births. Here’s more: 

• Maternal age: The infant mortality rate was highest for those born to women under the age of 20, a rate nearly 90% higher than for babies born to women aged 30-34. 
• Race and ethnicity: Infants born to black women had the highest mortality rate, at almost 11 deaths per 1,000 births. The mortality rate was the lowest — at less than four per 1,000 — for Asian women. 
• Cause of death: The leading cause of death among infants in 2017 was congenital malformations, followed by disorders due to low birth weight, maternal complications, SIDS, and accidental injuries.