infant mortality

Why this is important: Infant mortality, a widely used measure, is an indication of a basic level of community health. It is affected by environmental and socioeconomic factors and is impacted by the availability of quality health care, maternal factors, and birth outcomes.

Definition: Rate of infants that die before their first birthday per 1,000 births.

Data Source: Washington State Department of Health, Center for Health Statistics. Calculations and presentation of data by Spokane Regional Health District. Xu JQ, Murphy SL, Kochanek KD, Arias E. Mortality in the United States, 2021. NCHS Data Brief, no 456. Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics. 2022. www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/databriefs/db456.htm