The Centers for Disease Control saysOhio is one of four Midwestern states with infant mortality rates “significantly higher” than the national average.
The others are Indiana, Kentucky, and Michigan. The CDC says their rates for 2017 were 5.79 per 1,000 live births. National rates have been trending downward for more than 20 years. But more than 22 thousand infant deaths were reported in 2017. The main causes include congenital malformations, low birthweight and maternal complications. The CDC says black infants had the highest mortality rate, with nearly 11 deaths per 1,000 births.
