* Per 1,000 live births.

In 2006, infant mortality rates were highest for mothers in the youngest and oldest age groups. The infant mortality rate for single births to mothers aged <15 years was 16.7 infant deaths per 1,000 live births, approximately three times the rates for mothers aged 25--29 years (5.1), 30--34 years (4.5), and 35--39 years (5.2), the age groups at lowest risk. The infant mortality rate for single births to mothers aged ≥45 years was 11.46, approximately twice the rate for mothers in the three age groups at lowest risk.

Sources: National Center for Health Statistics. Linked birth/infant death data set, 2006. Available at http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/linked.htm.

Mathews TJ, MacDorman MF. Infant mortality statistics from the 2006 period linked birth/infant death data set. Natl Vital Stat Rep 2010;58(17). Available at http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr58/nvsr58_17.pdf .

Alternate Text: The figure above shows infant mortality rates for single births, by age group of mother in the United States in 2006. In 2006, infant mortality rates were highest for mothers in the youngest and oldest age groups. The infant mortality rate for single births to mothers aged <15 years was 16.7 infant deaths per 1,000 live births, approximately three times the rates for mothers aged 25-29 years (5.1), 30-34 years (4.5), and 35-39 years (5.2), the age groups at lowest risk. The infant mortality rate for single births to mothers aged ≥45 years was 11.46, approximately twice the rates for mothers in the three age groups at lowest risk.

• Page last updated: November 26, 2010
• Content source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention