Tennessee’s infant mortality rate has dipped since 2019 but remains significantly and persistently higher than the national average, a new report published by the state’s health department found.
Black families in Tennessee continue to experience the heartbreak of losing a baby in the first year of life at twice the rate of white families, a stubborn disparity linked to maternal health, preterm births and access to prenatal care, among other factors.
West Tennessee had some of the highest rates of infant mortality: 9.7 deaths per 1,000 live births. Knox County had the lowest at 3.4 deaths per 1,000 live births.
Overall, Tennessee’s infant mortality rate of 6.5 deaths per 1,000 live births was 16% higher than the national average of 5.6 deaths per 1,000 live births. The report focuses on 2023 birth outcomes.
The 2023 infant deaths were largely a result of medical conditions, including preterm and low-birth-weight deliveries, and congenital disease.