Data

Each year, approximately 300 Kansas babies die before their first birthday. This represents an infant mortality rate of more than 7 deaths for every 1,000 live births.

Thirty years ago, Kansas' infant mortality rate compared favorably to other states. In recent years, Kansas' infant mortality rate has stagnated while the US rate has continued to decline. Furthermore, while many states have made progress closing the mortality gap between black and white infants, Kansas has not.

State and National Comparisons

In the most recent national final data (2007),

Kansas ranked 40th among all states for overall infant mortality
Kansas ranked worst in the nation for black infant mortality

Kansas Highlights

The 2009 infant mortality rate was 7.0 infant deaths per 1,000 live births
White and Hispanic infant mortality rates decreased slightly from 2000 to 2009
The black infant mortality rate increased by 32% from 2000 to 2009
The black infant mortality rate has consistently been more than double the white rate
Locally, highest rates are observed in Wyandotte, Geary, Sedgwick, and Shawnee Counties, particularly within high-risk zip codes, as well as Southeast Kansas

Additional highlights based on 2005-2009 Kansas data,

The death rate for infants born to unmarried mothers was 86% higher than for infants born to married mothers
The death rate for infants born to mothers who did not graduate from high school was 59% higher than those born to moms with a high school education or greater
Infants born to teen moms had a 65% higher mortality rate than infants born to moms aged 20 years and older
Babies born to mothers who received no prenatal care were 6 times more likely to die before their first birthday than those born to mothers who began care in their first trimester

Leading Causes

The leading causes of infant deaths in Kansas (2005-2009) are

Birth defects
Pre-term/Low birth weight
Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS)
Maternal pregnancy complications
Unintentional and intentional injuries