Infant Mortality Rate Rises in Alabama, Stays Above Average

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) – The Alabama Department of Public Health says the state’s infant mortality rate rose last year but remains among the lowest the state has recorded in more than 50 years.

A statement from the agency says the state’s rate last year was 7.7 deaths for every 1,000 live births. That was above the rate the year before of seven deaths for every 1,000 live births. The agency says the 2019 rate was the third-lowest in more than five decades. But continuing a longstanding pattern, Black babies died at a disproportionate rate compared to white children. State Health Officer Scott Harris says health officials need to address the racial disparities.

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