Report: Ohio making strides in infant mortality, but racial disparities persist

Although Ohio has made strides in reducing infant mortality over the past decade, a new report found that seven of every 1,000 babies born in Ohio still die before their first birthday and large racial disparities have widened (Source: “Despite improvements, Ohio still has among the worst infant mortality rates in the nation,” Ohio Newsroom via WOSU, Nov. 7).
 
According to a report from Groundwork Ohio, a nonprofit that advocates for the state’s young children, Ohio’s infant mortality rate remains among the highest in the nation — the state ranks 44th out of 50 states.
 
Black children are more than twice as likely to die in infancy than white children — a gap that has widened over the past decade, as the state’s white infant mortality rate falls faster than the Black infant mortality rate.
 
In 2022, the most recent year CDC data is available, 5.7 white infants in Ohio died per every 1,000 births, while 13.4 Black infants died.
 
The report also highlights progress made throughout the state. One example is work in Hamilton County. “Cradle Cincinnati in Hamilton County stands out as a beacon of what is possible when a community follows its data and works together to achieve a goal,” the report states. “In 2023, this community was able to lower their county infant mortality rate to the national average of 5.5 per 1,000 live births and reduce Black infant mortality to single digits at 9.0 per 1,000 live births.”