Health authorities in Mississippi have announced a public emergency concerning the state’s escalating infant mortality rate, which has reached its highest point in a decade. Data from 2024 indicates 9.7 deaths within the first year of life for every 1,000 infant births in the state—an increase from 8.9 in 2023.
“Every single infant loss represents a family devastated, a community impacted and a future cut short,” stated Dr. Dan Edney, the state health officer, in a declaration of the public health emergency, which enables the state to mobilize resources more swiftly than it could otherwise.
According to state figures, 3,527 babies in Mississippi have died before turning one year old since 2014. The state experienced a notably high increase in neonatal deaths, which occur during an infant’s first month of life, and a very elevated overall infant mortality rate for Black families: 15.2 per 1,000 live births, in contrast to 5.8 per 1,000 live births in white families.
Poor outcomes for both mothers and babies are not a new issue for Mississippi, which received an “F” on a 2024 that assessed maternal and infant health by state. Mississippi had the highest infant mortality rates in the country in 2024, as per the report card, and the highest rates of , when a baby is born before 38 weeks of pregnancy. (Being born preterm is linked to an for many short-term and long-term health conditions.) Some of the elements contributing to these unfavorable outcomes include mothers’ inadequate physical health and substandard access to care for both moms and babies.
“Mississippi has historically ranked low when it comes to these birth outcomes,” observed Dr. Michael Warren, chief medical and health officer for the March of Dimes, in an interview with TIME. “But they’re not alone.”
Between 2023 and 2024, infant mortality rates worsened in 24 states, including Arkansas and Louisiana, Warren noted. “This is reflective of a large trend.”
These states were already grappling with maternal and infant health challenges, yet external factors are likely intensifying these outcomes. Numerous rural counties in recent years, necessitating longer travel distances for women seeking prenatal and maternity care. More than half of Mississippi’s counties and one-third of U.S. counties are designated as maternity-care deserts, signifying an absence of hospitals providing obstetric care, OB-GYNs, and certified nurse midwives.
In Mississippi and throughout the South, OB-GYNs are departing due to low Medicaid and private insurance that impede the viability of maintaining a practice. Remaining practices frequently operate with insufficient staff, and providers sometimes after continuous 24/7 call schedules. Consequently, women encountering emergencies during childbirth might be unable to reach a doctor promptly.
Mississippi and many other states in the South have also not expanded Medicaid, which implies that women might enter pregnancy in poorer health than if they had greater access to healthcare. Without health insurance, women might not see a doctor consistently to manage chronic conditions such as obesity or diabetes. A significant contributor to increased infant deaths, Warren states, is the high number of premature births, with much of prematurity linked to a mother’s health status prior to conception.
“Managing chronic diseases before pregnancy is crucial,” Warren asserts, “so that when an individual chooses to become pregnant, they’re in peak health, thereby maximizing the likelihood of a positive outcome for both themselves and the baby.”
In its declaration of a public health emergency, Mississippi stated its intention to reduce the prevalence of OB-GYN deserts by enhancing prenatal care availability in specific counties. Furthermore, the state plans to broaden a community health worker initiative to link mothers and infants with local healthcare services.
“Mississippi possesses the expertise, the assets, and the determination to alter this narrative,” commented Edney, the state health officer, in his statement. “Achieving this will require a collective effort from all stakeholders—policymakers, healthcare providers, communities and families—to grant every child the opportunity to live, flourish, and commemorate their first birthday.”
