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In 2008, the overall infant mortality rate was 6.6 infant deaths per 1,000 live births; however, infant mortality rates varied widely by gestational age. For infants born at <32 weeks of gestation, the infant mortality rate was 175.5 infant deaths per 1,000 live births, compared with a rate of 2.1 for infants born at 39–41 weeks of gestation, the age group with the lowest risk. Infant mortality rates generally decreased with increasing gestational age, and even infants born at 37–38 weeks had a mortality rate that was 50% higher than that for infants born at 39–41 weeks.

Source: Mathews TJ, MacDorman MF. Infant mortality statistics from the 2008 period linked birth/infant death data set. Natl Vital Stat Rep 2012;60(5). Available at http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr60/nvsr60_05.pdf.

Reported by: Marian F. MacDorman, PhD, mfm1@cdc.gov, 301-458-4356. TJ Mathews.

Alternate Text: The figure above shows infant mortality rate, by gestational age in the United States during 2008. In 2008, the overall infant mortality rate was 6.6 infant deaths per 1,000 live births; however, infant mortality rates varied widely by gestational age. For infants born at <32 weeks of gestation, the infant mortality rate was 175.5 infant deaths per 1,000 live births, compared with a rate of 2.1 for infants born at 39-41 weeks of gestation, the age group with the lowest risk. Infant mortality rates generally decreased with increasing gestational age, and even infants born at 37-38 weeks had a mortality rate that was 50% higher than that for infants born at 39-41 weeks.