PHILADELPHIA, Pa. - The infant mortality rate in the United States hit a record low in 2020, according to a recent report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Dr. Scott Lorch, a professor of pediatrics in the division of neonatology at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, said the U.S. infant mortality rate has been falling for the last decade.
He credits the decline to improvements in how hospitals care for babies with congenital anomalies and to public health initiatives that help parents better understand safe sleep practices for infants.
But Lorch said other developed countries in the world, like Japan, have much lower infant mortality rates.
“I think it's important to realize that — even with these improvements — our rates are still not ideal,” Lorch said. “When we compare the U.S.’s infant mortality rates to other developed countries, we don't fare extraordinarily well.”
Lorch explained that every community in the U.S. has different factors that lead to infant deaths and hospitals are identifying areas where neonatal care can be improved so there are better outcomes for infants.