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News
Sudden unexpected infant deaths (SUID) are rising among Black babies while remaining stable for White infants, a new JAMA Network Open study finds. Analyzing nearly 58 million births from 2003–2024, researchers found the mortality gap began widening again after 2019. Experts say SUID — not just preterm birth — is now the key driver of this racial disparity, calling it an "acute crisis."
A new study published in JAMA Network Open is sounding the alarm on a troubling trend: sudden unexpected infant death (SUID) rates have been climbing among Black babies since 2020, even as overall rates have held relatively steady for White infants. Researchers from the University of Colorado Boulder analyzed federal data covering nearly 58 million live births between 2003 and 2024 and found that the infant mortality rate for Black babies is more than twice that of White babies.
While preterm birth has long been the leading driver of this gap — Black mothers deliver preterm at a significantly higher rate than White mothers — the study reveals that SUID is now the accelerating force behind the widening disparity. Even if preterm birth inequities were fully eliminated, a substantial mortality gap would remain.
By the Numbers:
Why it matters: Researchers believe the uptick began during the COVID-19 pandemic, coinciding with rising Black maternal mortality and surging respiratory illnesses. This study signals that SUID — once thought to be largely under control — has re-emerged as an urgent, racially unequal public health crisis demanding immediate attention.
