Infant Mortality in Socially Vulnerable Populations

Studies have shown for decades that certain subpopulations of infants, for example, those in poverty and in certain minority groups, are at substantially higher risk for illness and death than the national average. If mothers and infants of these “vulnerable populations” were as healthy as their “nonvulnerable” counterparts, as many as one third (approximately 12,000 deaths) of all infant deaths in the United States might be avoided each year. This paper is intended to document which infants are vulnerable, to quantitate the degree of risk where possible, and to outline potential changes in public policy that may lead to improvements in the health of these infants.