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Even as the US hit a record-low infant mortality rate in 2025, Black infants are being left behind. A new JAMA Network Open study found that the Black-White infant mortality gap — which had been narrowing for years — started widening again after 2020, driven largely by a surge in sudden unexpected infant deaths (SUID). Researchers say structural inequities and unequal healthcare access are key culprits.
The US celebrated a record-low infant mortality rate of 5.39 deaths per 1,000 live births in 2025 — but that headline obscures a deeply troubling trend. A new study in JAMA Network Open, analyzing over 366,000 infant deaths from 2003 to 2024, found that the racial gap in infant mortality between Black and White infants — which had been narrowing for nearly two decades — reversed course after 2020 and is growing again.
Premature birth has long been the dominant driver of this disparity, with nearly 15% of Black mothers delivering preterm vs. 9.4% of White mothers. But the study uncovered something new: Black infants are now dying at higher rates even at the same gestational age as White infants, suggesting prematurity alone doesn't explain the gap. Post-2020, the biggest contributor to the widening divide has been sudden unexpected infant deaths (SUID), pointing to deeper systemic issues — including pandemic-era closures of maternal and pediatric care centers in underserved communities.
By the Numbers:
Why it matters: Researchers warn that improving healthcare access alone won't close this gap. Systemic solutions — spanning mental health support, home visits, and equitable access to quality prenatal and pediatric care — are essential to protect Black infants across their earliest and most vulnerable months of life.
