Infant Mortality and American Indians/Alaska Natives

Infant mortality refers to the death of a baby between 1 day and 1 year old. Deaths that happen before a baby is 28 days old are also called neonatal deaths. Babies can die for many reasons, such as birth defects, infections, or accidents. It is important to understand the difference between causes and contributors to infant mortality. A cause is what directly leads to a baby’s death. A contributor is something that increases the risk of death but does not directly cause it. While many leading causes of infant death cannot be fully prevented, parents and caregivers can lower a baby’s risk by making healthy choices and getting care before and during pregnancy.

  • In 2024, the mortality rate for American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) infants was 67% higher than infants nationwide.

  • In 2024, AI/AN infants were almost three times as likely as infants nationwide to die from accidents and unintentional injuries.

  • In 2024, AI/AN mothers were 77% more likely than mothers nationwide to receive late or no prenatal care.

Additional Resources

MedlinePlus

Health Resources & Services Administration

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Indian Health Service

Related Data

Further Reading

Occurrence

Infant mortality, rate per 1,000 live births, 2024
AI/AN*Total PopulationRatio (AI/AN* / Total)
9.25.51.67
Source: U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics. (2026). Infant mortality in the United States, 2024 (National Vital Statistics Report, Vol. 75, No. 3, Table 2). U.S. Department of Health & Human Services.
Infant mortality by age of mother, rate per 1,000 live births, 2024
Age of MotherAI/AN*Total PopulationRatio (AI/AN* / Total)
15-19 years9.69.80.98
20–24 years9.06.91.30
25–29 years8.15.21.55
30–34 years9.04.71.94
35–39 years9.44.91.93
40-54 years21.777.03.13
Source: U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics. (2026). Infant mortality in the United States, 2024 (National Vital Statistics Report, Vol. 75, No. 3, Table 2). U.S. Department of Health & Human Services.

Leading Causes of Death

Infant mortality rate for the top 5 leading causes of death for American Indians/Alaska Natives, rate per 100,000 live births, 2024
Cause of DeathAI/AN*Total PopulationRatio (AI/AN* / Total)
Low Birthweight124.981.21.54
Congenital Malformations166.5112.71.48
Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS)87.437.22.35
Accidents (unintentional injuries)99.934.02.94
Maternal complications of pregnancy50.033.01.52
Source: U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics. (2026). Infant mortality in the United States, 2024 (National Vital Statistics Report, Vol. 75, No. 3, Table 4). U.S. Department of Health & Human Services.

Risk Factors for Complications

Mother received late or no prenatal care, percentage, 2024
AI/AN*Total PopulationRatio (AI/AN* / Total)
12.97.31.77
Source:U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics. (2026). Births: Final data for 2024 (National Vital Statistics Report, Vol. 75, No. 2, Table C). U.S. Department of Health & Human Services.
Mother smoked during pregnancy, percentage, 2024
AI/AN*Total PopulationRatio (AI/AN* / Total)
8.62.43.58
Source:U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics. (2026). Births: Final data for 2024 (National Vital Statistics Report, Vol. 75, No. 2, Table C). U.S. Department of Health & Human Services.

*Population is non-Hispanic in the data source.


Date Last Reviewed: August 2026