US Infant mortality rises

December 4, 2023

Source: OECD, US statistics are from 2020 LINK

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released preliminary data in November showing that in 2022 infant mortality rose 3% to 5.6 infants per 1000 live births. This is in contrast to most developed countries, where infant mortality is 3 or fewer per 1000 live births.

The March of Dimes issued its annual report on preterm births, which shows that these remained essentially unchanged in 2022 (10.4% of all births, compared to 10.5% in 2021). Preterm birth was 1.5 times higher among Black birthing people compared to White people. Factors that the March of Dimes highlighted as risks include smoking (4.6% of births), hypertension (2.9%), obesity (34.3%), diabetes (1.2%), multiple births (3.2%) and previous preterm deliveries (3.9%).

The report points out that maternal mortality in the US has risen from 17.4 deaths per 100,000 (2018) to 32.9 deaths per 100,000 births (2021). Even though we spend $19,000 per delivery in the US, those giving birth today are more likely to die in childbirth than their mothers were.

Implications for employers:

-        Employers can help improve maternal outcomes through:

-        Benefit design, including affordable out-of-pocket costs, access to midwives and doulas, parental leave, and appropriate access to mental health services

-        Requiring that medical carriers provide timely, accurate information to members and employers about provider quality and outcomes

-        Advocating for value-based payment so that hospitals do not make higher margins from Cesarean section deliveries.

-        Here’s an article I wrote published in Harvard Business Review (May, 2023) on what employers can do to make childbirth safer.

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Tomorrow: At-home testing can empower patients and improve outcomes