In 2015, the rate of infant mortality in the USA was 26,000 (CDC,2016). According to the CDC, infants include newborns below the ageof twelve months. The leading cause of death to infants within thisage bracket varies between various ethnicities in the USA. For thepurposes of this research, the comparison of the leading causes ofinfant mortality will be between non-Hispanic African Americans andnon-Hispanic White Americans.
In 2015, low birth weight was the leading cause of infant mortalityamong the non-Hispanic African Americans. With a total of 1,522deaths, low birth weight became the leading factor for infantmortality. When compared to non-Hispanic White Americans, low birthweight accounted for 1,585 cases in infant mortality. Although thenumber is higher than that of non-Hispanic African American infantmortality, low birth weight came second in terms of the leadingcauses of infant mortality among non-Hispanic White Americans. Theleading cause of infant mortality among non-Hispanic White Americanswas congenital malformations, with a death toll of 2,443.
According to Baby Centre (2016), low birth weight usually occurs inparents who weigh less and are shorter than the national average. Inthe USA, non-Hispanic African Americans are usually shorter and weighless than their non-Hispanic White American counterparts weigh. Thisgenetic difference could be the explanation as to why low birthweight is the leading cause of infant mortality in this ethnicity.
According to World Health Organization, there is no primary cause forcongenital malformations (Congenital anomalies, 2016). However, riskfactors for congenital malformations include socioeconomic factorsand consanguinity- when both parents are related by blood. Both riskfactors are common among non-Hispanic white Americans, hence makingthem the probable causes of congenital malformations as the leadingcause of infant mortality.
References
Baby Centre (2016). Low birth weight in babies.Babycentre.co.uk. Retrieved from<http://www.babycentre.co.uk/a1033196/low-birth-weight-in-babies>accessed May 13, 2016.
CDC 2016.  Infant Mortality Statistics from the 2013 PeriodLinked Birth/Infant Death Data Set.  National VitalStatistics Reports. Table 5. Retrievedfrom<http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr64/nvsr64_09.pd>accessed May 13, 2016.
Congenital anomalies, World Health Organization. (2016).Retrieved from <http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs370/en/>accessed May 13, 2016.