Infant mortality in the United States fell to its lowest level ever in 2014, according to new federal data, as one of the biggest risk factors for infant deaths — preterm births — continued to fall.
Infant mortality rates in the United States have long been stubbornly high, particularly when compared with other rich countries. But after a recent peak in 2005, rates have been declining, down by 13 percent through 2013. In a report released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Wednesday, the rate declined again in 2014, down by 2.3 percent to a new low of 582.1 infant deaths per 100,000 live births, from 596.1 the year before.
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