2C. AGE-SPECIFICMORTALITY
Infantmortality
Figure2C-1
InfantMortalityRates byNeonatal/Postneonatal Age andYear,
Arizona, 2003-2013
Notes: Neonatal deaths are those to infants age 0-27 days; Post-neonatal are deaths to infants age 28 days-1 year.
Infant mortality is defined as the
number of deaths within the first
year of life. The infant mortality
rate (IMR) is computed as the
number of infant deaths in a
calendar year per 1,000 live births
recorded for the same period.
In 2013, 447 Arizona infants died
before reaching their first birthday,
254 fewer than the latest peak of
701 infant deaths in 2007 (
Table
2C-2
).
Even if the risk of infant mortality
remained the same as it was in
2007, 121 fewer infant deaths can
be attributed to the absolute
reduction in the number births by
17,724 from 2007 to 2013
((17,724 x 6.8)/1,000) = 121).
Based on the actual number of
infant deaths and live births in
2013, the infant mortality rate of
5.3/1,000 was the lowest IMR
recorded in the past decade
(
Figure2C-1
).
Figure2C-2
InfantMortalityRates
a
byRace/Ethnicity andYear,
Arizona, 2003-2013
Notes:
a
Number of infant deaths per 1,000 live births in specified group.
In 2013, 93.1 percent (416/447)*
of all infant death records were
successfully matched to their
corresponding birth records.
Themortality risk for infants varies
by race/ethnicity. Infants of Asian
or Pacific Islander mothers,
followed by infants of White non-
Hispanic mothers had the lowest
infant mortality rates among the
racial/ethnic groups in 2012
(
Figure2C-2, Table2C-2
).
In 2013, Black or African American
infants had the worst survival
chances among the ethnic groups
(
Figure 2C-2
). American Indian
and Hispanic or Latino infants also
had elevated IMRs.
__________________________
*
Infant death records that were not linked to
their corresponding birth certificates include
unrecorded home births (i.e., no birth
certificates was issued) and out-of-State births
(i.e., the State issuing the certificate of birth
did not send a copy to Arizona).
146
Arizona Health Status and Vital Statistics 2013
