What does this measure?
The number of deaths among infants (under age 1) in various racial or ethnic groups, expressed as a rate per 1,000 live births and averaged over three years.
Why is this important?
Infant mortality reflects the overall health status of a population and indirectly is a measure of the effectiveness and availability of quality health care, particularly prenatal care.
How is our county performing?
In 2019-21, Worcester County had an overall infant mortality rate of 3.6 deaths per 1,000 live births, on par with the state but lower than the nation (5.5). Infant mortality was highest among Black and African Americans, with 6.9 deaths per 1,000 live births. Rates for Whites and Latinos were half the African American rate, with 3.3 and 3.0 deaths per live births, respectively. The infant mortality rate among African Americans was similar to the state (7.0) but lower than the nation (10.5).
Why do these disparities exist?
Racial disparities in infant mortality emerge from systems that perpetuate structural racism. Higher death rates among infants of color are directly tied to maternal access to prenatal care throughout pregnancy and quality of care. National research has shown that mothers of color are less likely to receive prenatal care in part because they tend to live in communities with fewer health care providers including neonatal services. While women of color from under-resourced communities gain access to health care via Medicaid, they are often underinsured. Discriminatory treatment by health care providers influences whether the health care needs of women of color are adequately addressed, putting mothers and their infants at higher risk of mortality. The racism experienced by expectant mothers of color in their everyday lives at work and in their neighborhoods (e.g. food insecurity, environmental toxins) place mothers and their infants at higher risk of premature death. The overall health of expectant mothers of color and access to comprehensive health care including gynecological services before pregnancy also contributes to premature infant death.
Notes about the data
Rates are averaged over three years because some geographies or groups have small numbers, making it difficult to distinguish true changes from random fluctuations.
Data not presented for all racial/ethnic groups where the counts were too small to provide reliable rates.
| All | Black or African American | Hispanic or Latino | White | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Worcester County | 4 | 7 | 3 | 3 | |
| Massachusetts | 4 | 7 | 5 | 3 |
Notes: Rates per 1,000 births. Data not presented for all racial/ethnic groups where the counts were too small to provide reliable rates.
