The infant mortality rate in the United States fell 15 percent from 2005 to 2014, cutting across all races and most states, but was still higher than other developed countries.
The National Center for Health Statistics, part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said the country experienced 6.86 infant deaths per 1,000 live births in 2005, but that figure tumbled to 5.82 in 2014.
Asian or Pacific Islander (21 percent drop) and African-American women (20 percent) women experienced the largest declines from 2005 through 2014. In Hispanic subgroups, Cubans (19 percent) and Puerto Ricans (17 percent) had the biggest drop.
Eleven states experienced an infant mortality rate decline of 16 percent or more, including, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Idaho, Maryland, Mississippi, Nebraska, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia. The District of Columbia's rate also fell more than 16 percent.
Significantly, fewer children are dying from Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), falling 29 percent over the same period, from 54 per 100,000 births in 2005 to 38.6 in 2014, noted the center.
Dr. Paul Jarris, chief medical officer for the March of Dimes, told NBC News that the study showed areas that still need improvement.
"On the surface, this seems like good news," Jarris told NBC News. "But it is far from time to celebrate. While this report shows overall improvement to infant mortality rates, women of color and their children continue to bear a disproportionate burden."
Slate said the new study still puts the U.S. rate higher than rates from European countries and other developed nations around the world.
One reason, NBC wrote, could be unplanned pregnancies.
"The report simply looks at numbers, not reasons. But researchers have been concerned about infant mortality in the U.S. and point to several factors, including a high rate of teen pregnancies, a lack of planning and a lack of health care."
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