Too Many Black Babies Are Dying. Birth Workers in Kansas Fight to Keep Them Alive

November 17, 2022

(NPR) – Nationally, infant mortality declined to a record low in 2020, but in Kansas, it rose 19% — and for Black babies, it surged 58%. Black infant mortality in Kansas is now three and a half times the rate of white infant mortality. That disparity exists to a lesser extent across the U.S., where the mortality rate for Black babies is more than double that for white babies. Experts say why such stark disparities exist lie in racial differences in the causes of infant deaths. White and Hispanic infant mortality is most commonly caused by birth defects. Black infant deaths more frequently stem from complications related to being born too early and being underweight. (Read More)