MEMPHIS, Tenn. – The infant mortality rate in Memphis has hit a record low, marking an important milestone in the city’s fight to improve a key measure of its overall health.
Shelby County, which includes Memphis, last year saw its lowest rate on record of babies who died before their first birthday, the county health department reported Monday. The 2015 rate of 8.2 out of 1,000 live births represents a drop from 9.6 in 2014, and a significant reduction from 2003, when the rate was nearly 15 baby deaths per 1,000 live births.
Infant mortality rates among non-Hispanic blacks was 10.6 per 1,000 live births in 2015, down from 12.4 percent in each of the prior two years.
While the county’s infant mortality rate has improved from 13 years ago, it remains higher than the national rate of 5.8 baby deaths per 1,000 live births in 2014, according to a June 30 report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Experts believe infant mortality is a good indicator of a community’s general health. Risk factors include premature births, low birth weights, birth defects, accidents and other causes.