This indicator is part of Access to health care.

Indicator description:

This indicator notes the rate of infant mortality, which is defined as the number of deaths per 1,000 live births. These data are available at the community level, but the most recent data available is for 2004. The Centers for Disease Control estimate that infant mortality is 50% higher for children born into families with incomes below the poverty threshold than for families of greater means. Much of this disparity reflects decreased access to prenatal health care. 

Why is this indicator relevant?

The infant mortality rate is affected by access to health care, particularly among those in poverty. It is also affected by progress in sanitation, antibiotics and improved surgical techniques to address congenital anomalities which threaten the life of the infant. Infants of mothers who begin receiving prenatal care in the first trimester have much better chances of survival for the first year than those whose mothers begin prenatal care later than the first trimester, or receive no prenatal care. In 2005, the most recent year for which data was available at the state level, New Mexico was the 20th best of the 50 states for the rate of infant mortality.

Data Source:
New Mexico Department of Health, Natality Reports, 2002-2006; Kids Count, Annie E. Casey Foundation; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2008.

What can we tell from the data?

• Albuquerque's rate of infant mortality is relatively low, but is higher than El Paso and Austin, TX.
• For every 1,000 babies born in Albuquerque, over 6% of them will not survive the first year, compared to 5% in Austin, or 11% in Oklahoma City.

For Help in understanding this page, see Understanding Indicators.