Indicator Profile of Infant Mortality
Why Is This Important?
The infant death rate is an important measure of a nation's health and a worldwide indicator of health status and social well-being. It is a critical indicator of the health of a population. Three causes account for more than half of all infant deaths in Utah: birth defects (1.58 per 1,000 live births), conditions in the perinatal period (includes disorders of short gestation and can reflect the overall state of maternal health, as well as the quality and accessibility of primary health care for pregnant women; 2.05 per 1,000), and SIDS (now down to 0.18 per 1,000). Other medical conditions and deaths due to unintentional and intentional injuries account for a much smaller proportion of infant deaths. Infant mortality, when resulting from a complicated delivery, is associated with increased risk of maternal mortality.
Data Notes
Infant deaths under one year of age for American Indian/Alaskan Native are not shown here because the numbers in this group were too small to report.Data Sources
Utah Birth Certificate Database, Office of Vital Records and Statistics, Utah Department of Health; Utah Death Certificate Database, Office of Vital Records and Statistics, Utah Department of Health;Other Views
- by Cause of Death, Utah, 1980-2007
- by County, Utah, 2003-2007
- by Ethnicity, Utah, 2005-2007
- by Local Health District, Utah, 2003-2007
- by Small Area, Utah, 2003-2007
- Utah and U.S., 1980-2007
Definition
Number of infants who died before their first birthday (under 365 days), after being born alive, per 1,000 live births.How We Calculated the Rates
| Numerator: | Number of infants who died prior to their first birthday. |
| Denominator: | Number of live births. |
Page Content Updated On 11/04/08,
Published on 11/04/08
