Understanding SIDS: Prevention Tips And Why Rates Are Higher In The U.S.

Infant Mortality Rates In The U.S.

According to a new study recently conducted by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), infants born in the United States are less likely to survive until their first birthday in comparison to infants born in other developed countries. The average infant mortality rate has steadily decreased in first world countries since 1960, but America has not kept up with this trend, according to TIME Magazine.

Compared to nineteen countries included in the OECD, American babies are three times more likely to die from premature health issues, and 2.3 percent more likely to suffer from SIDS between 2001 and 2010. According to the study, if the infant mortality rate in the U.S. had steadily declined like other OECD countries, there would be 300,000 fewer infant deaths over the course of fifty years.