What Causes Infant Mortality?

There are many different causes of infant mortality, from infection to birth defects or accidents. The main causes of infant mortality in the United States are different than the main causes of infant death around the world. In addition, in the United States and worldwide, the most common causes of infant death in the first weeks after birth are different than those that occur later in the first year.

There is a difference between causes of infant mortality and contributors to infant mortality. A cause leads directly to a death. In contrast, a contributor is a risk factor that makes the death more likely to happen. Learn more about the risk factors for infant mortality.

Read more on the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.