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New Article Series :
MHHD Priority Focus Areas
Beginning this month, MHHD will publish an article highlighting MHHD's priority focus areas. Articles will include focus area background, current data, and MHHD's activities to help eliminate health disparities in these areas.
Next month, we will highlight pre-diabetes.
June MHHD Priority Focus Area: Infant Mortality
Article by David Mann, MD, PhD,
Epidemiologist
Office of Minority Health and Health Disparities
Maryland Department of Health
Infant mortality is a health issue where racial/ethnic health disparities have been profound and persistent in both Maryland and the nation. Black infant mortality rates in Maryland have been persistently 2.5 to 3 times as high as the rates for Whites, and this matches the ratio of rates seen nationally. In fact, Black rates in Maryland are similar to Black rates nationally, and White rates in Maryland are similar to White rates nationally.
For other racial/ethnic groups in Maryland, Asian infant mortality rates are similar to White rates, and Hispanic rates are at or slightly above White rates, depending on the year. American Indian rates vary considerably from year to year due to the small size of that group and range from as low as White rates to as high as Black rates. On average, American Indian rates are about halfway between Black and White rates in Maryland. These patterns also match the patterns seen nationally.
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