Mississippi’s infant mortality rate rose to its highest level in a decade in 2024, according to the Mississippi State Department of Health, which is using Infant Mortality Awareness Month to highlight efforts to prevent deaths during babies’ first year of life.
The state recorded 9.7 infant deaths per 1,000 live births in 2024, up from 8.9 in 2023, according to the department’s most recent infant mortality report. The 2024 figures are the latest available.
“Too many families are losing their babies before their first birthday,” State Health Officer Dr. Dan Edney said in a Sept. 2 news release.
The health department said low birth weight, premature births and maternal health conditions, including hypertension, diabetes and obesity, contribute to a significant share of infant deaths in Mississippi.
Unsafe sleep conditions also remain a concern. Although the department reported a slight decline in sudden unexpected infant deaths associated with unsafe sleep, it said Mississippi’s rate remains twice the national average.
The department also reported racial disparities in infant deaths. According to the release, Black babies are three times more likely than white babies to die soon after birth because of extreme prematurity and are more likely to die from sudden unexpected infant death during their first year.
Mississippi declared infant mortality a public health emergency in 2025. Since then, the health department said it has pursued efforts to expand prenatal care, improve coordination among obstetric providers and hospitals, and strengthen maternal and infant health programs.
Those efforts include distributing cribs, sleep sacks and car seats at community events; providing home visits and safe-sleep education through the Healthy Moms/Healthy Babies Program in select counties; and connecting families with early intervention and other support services.
The department is encouraging families and health care providers to focus on safe infant sleep, prenatal care beginning in the first trimester and management of chronic health conditions before and during pregnancy.
“The best way to reduce infant mortality is to improve maternal health,” Edney said.
More information about maternal and infant health programs is available through the Mississippi State Department of Health’s maternal health resources
