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).
