This page provides data points and curated searches from OMH’s Knowledge Center library catalog related to infant health and mortality within minority and tribal populations in the United States and its territories. The number of catalog records for each topic reflect the search results at the time of this page’s latest update.
American Indian/Alaska Native
In 2023, the infant mortality rate for American Indians/Alaska Natives was 64% greater than the rate for the total population.1 For American Indian/Alaska Natives, in 2023, all leading causes of infant mortality (low birthweight, congenital malformations, sudden infant death syndrome [SIDS], accidents [unintentional injuries], and maternal complications of pregnancy) occurred more frequently than the total population. Both SIDS and congenital malformations occurred at a rate in American Indian/Alaska Native infants that was 2.4 times higher than the total population.2 In 2023, American Indian/Alaska Native mothers had rates of late or no prenatal care that exceeded the rate of total mothers by 80%.3 In 2023, American Indian/Alaska Native mothers reported smoking during pregnancy 3.2 times more frequently than mothers of the total population.4
For additional data on infant mortality and American Indians/Alaska Natives, please visit our Population Profiles.
Asian American
In 2022, non-Hispanic Asian American infants had the lowest total neonatal mortality rates (2.47 per 1,000 live births).5 In 2023, non-Hispanic Asian American mothers had the lowest rate of smoking during pregnancy (0.2%) of all racial and ethnic groups.6
For additional data on infant mortality and Asian Americans, please visit our Population Profiles.
Black/African American
In 2023, the infant mortality rate for non-Hispanic Black or African Americans was greater than the total population in every maternal age group and over twice the rate for mothers in their 30s.7 In 2023, Non-Hispanic Black or African American infants died 2.5 times more frequently from causes related to low birthweight, 2.35 times more frequently from sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), and 2.23 times as often from accidents compared to all other U.S. populations.8 In 2023, Non-Hispanic Black or African American mothers had rates of late or no prenatal care that exceeded the rate of mothers of the total population by 49% and smoked during pregnancy 10% less than mothers of the total population.9
For additional data on infant mortality and Black/African Americans, please visit our Population Profiles.
Hispanic/Latino
Among Hispanic/Latino subgroups, the infant mortality rates in 2023 ranged from 3.77 per 1,000 live births for Cuban Americans to 6.43 per 1,000 live births for Puerto Ricans.10 Puerto Rican infants died from causes related to maternal complications of pregnancy at a rate that was 61% higher compared to infants of the total population in 2023.11 In 2023,12 Hispanic/Latino American mothers were 1.4 times more likely to receive late or no prenatal care than mothers of the total population. Central and South American mothers were twice as likely to receive late or no prenatal care as mothers of the total population. Overall, Hispanic/Latino American mothers smoked less during pregnancy compared to the total population, ranging from 20% less for Puerto Rican mothers to 90% less for Central and South American mothers.
For additional data on infant mortality and Hispanic Americans, please visit our Population Profiles.
Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander
National data reported for this population is limited. In 2023, the infant mortality rate for non-Hispanic Native Hawaiians/Pacific Islanders was 1.5 times the rate for the total population.13 In 2023, non-Hispanic Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander mothers had a rate of late or no prenatal care that was 3.2 times that of mothers in the total population.14 The infant mortality rate on the island of Guam was 2.73 times higher than that of infants of the total population born on the mainland of the United States in 2023.15
For additional data on infant mortality and Native Hawaiians/Pacific Islanders, please visit our Population Profiles.
1 CDC, 2024. Infant Mortality in the United States, 2023: Data from the Period Linked Birth/Infant Death File. National Vital Statistics Reports Volume 74, Number 7. Table 2. (Back to footnote)
2 CDC, 2025. Infant Mortality in the United States, 2023: Data from the Period Linked Birth/Infant Death File. National Vital Statistics Reports, vol. 74, no. 7. Table 4. (Back to footnote)
3 CDC, 2025. Births: Final Data for 2023. National Vital Statistics Reports, vol. 74, no. 1. Table 13. (Back to footnote)
4 CDC, 2025. Births: Final Data for 2023. National Vital Statistics Reports, vol. 74, no. 1. Table 13. (Back to footnote)
5 CDC, 2024. Infant Mortality in the United States, 2022: Data from the Period Linked Birth/Infant Death File. National Vital Statistics Reports, vol. 73, no. 5. Table 2. (Back to footnote)
6CDC, 2025. Births: Final Data for 2023. National Vital Statistics Reports, vol. 74, no. 1. Tables 13 and 14. (Back to footnote)
7 CDC, 2024. Infant Mortality in the United States, 2023: Data from the Period Linked Birth/Infant Death File. National Vital Statistics Reports Volume 74, Number 7. Table 2. (Back to footnote)
8 CDC, 2024. Infant Mortality in the United States, 2023: Data from the Period Linked Birth/Infant Death File. National Vital Statistics Reports, vol. 74, no. 7. Table 4. (Back to footnote)
9 CDC, 2025. Births: Final Data for 2023. National Vital Statistics Reports, vol. 74, no. 1. Table 13. (Back to footnote)
10 CDC, 2025. Infant Mortality in the United States, 2023: Data from the Period Linked Birth/Infant Death File. National Vital Statistics Reports Volume 74, Number 7. Table 2. (Back to footnote)
11 CDC, 2024. Infant Mortality in the United States, 2022: Data from the Period Linked Birth/Infant Death File. National Vital Statistics Reports, vol. 73, no. 5. Table 4. (Back to footnote)
12 CDC, 2025. Births: Final Data for 2023. National Vital Statistics Reports, vol. 74, no. 1. Tables 13 and 14. (Back to footnote)
13 CDC, 2024. Infant Mortality in the United States, 2022: Data from the Period Linked Birth/Infant Death File. National Vital Statistics Reports, vol. 73, no. 5. Table 2. (Back to footnote)
14 CDC, 2024. Births: Final Data for 2022. National Vital Statistics Reports, vol. 73, no. 2. Table 13. (Back to footnote)
15CDC, 2025. Infant Mortality in the United States, 2023: Data from the Period Linked Birth/Infant Death File. National Vital Statistics Reports, vol. 74, no. 7. Tables 2 and 5. (Back to footnote)
Date Last Reviewed: October 2025