What’s measured These data examine infant mortality rates for 2003 and 2004 for the region and for the fourteen counties, using data from the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services State Center for Health Statistics and the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control. Data for 2005 are available for North Carolina counties, but are not yet available for South Carolina counties. The data reflect deaths of infants aged one year or younger per 1,000 live births. The data also compare infant mortality rates for minorities and whites. The regional indicator is calculated as an un-weighted average of the county rates. Why it’s measured The infant mortality rate provides important information about the region’s provision of pre-natal and neo-natal health care, as well as parenting education and support to keep infants born healthy alive through their first year. A measure of the infant mortality rate by race provides information about equality of access to these services. Indicator results In 2004, the average county infant mortality rate in the Charlotte region was 9.3 deaths per 1,000 births. This was slightly higher than the infant mortality rate in 2003 (9.0 deaths per 1,000 births). The region’s 2004 infant mortality rate was higher than North Carolina’s (8.8 deaths per 1,000 births) and equal to South Carolina’s. But the big disparity in infant mortality rate numbers comes with the consideration of race. The 2004 average county infant mortality rate for minorities was nearly double that of the overall county rate: 17.7 deaths per 1,000 births for minorities, compared with the 9.3 county average for all races. And, the 2004 minority rate of 17.7 was up from 15.7 in 2003. On the state level, North Carolina’s minority infant mortality rate was lower in 2004, at 15.6 deaths per 1,000 births, but South Carolina’s minority rate is higher, at 24.2 deaths per 1,000 births. The average county white infant mortality rate is dramatically lower than the minority rate. The white rate was 6.5 deaths per 1,000 births. The rates for whites in both North Carolina (6.2 deaths per 1,000 births) and South Carolina (6.4 deaths per 1,000) were lower than that of the region. Many of the mostly rural counties in the region have few incidents of infant mortality, partly due to a small number of total births. Therefore, county comparisons are difficult to make because rates based on fewer than 10 deaths are considered unreliable and should be interpreted with caution. For example, Anson, Chester, Cleveland and Lancaster counties all reported fewer than ten infant deaths in 2004, and only Mecklenburg County reported more than ten infant deaths in both the white and minority infant categories. Evaluation North Carolina’s lower infant mortality rate suggests room for improvement in the Charlotte region. The most troubling fact shown by this indicator is the very high minority infant mortality rate compared with the white infant mortality rate. The high rate may be explained partially by the socio-economic status of minorities, but may also be attributable to factors that fall within control of communities within the region. That is, this indicator may suggest that health-care professionals and nonprofit organizations need to increase efforts to educate pregnant minority women about the steps required to deliver and care for healthy infants. Connections The region’s infant mortality rate should have a close correlation to the number and effectiveness of programs targeting the health of infants and pregnant women. The infant mortality rate also provides information about the accessibility of health care and parenting education and support.
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