The infant mortality rate in Guilford County is one of the highest in North Carolina. Of the 5,757 babies born in Guilford County in 2023, 55 did not make it to their first birthday.
For several decades, Guilford County’s infant mortality rates, and other leading causes of infant death, including late or no prenatal care, pre-term birth, and low birthweight rates have remained higher than the state and national rates, with glaring racial disparities. These rates and racial disparities have had minimal fluctuation over the many years of efforts to address the issue.
In 2023, Guilford County continued to be one of the top five worst of 100 counties in North Carolina. Of the 5,757 babies born in Guilford County in 2023, 53 babies died before their first birthday. The county infant mortality rate was 9.2 per 1,000 births and a little over 28% higher than the North Carolina’s rate of 6.9 and over 49% higher than the national rate of 5.6.
Infant mortality is defined as the death of an infant before his or her first birthday and is a key indicator of the overall health of a county, state, region, or nation. The higher the rates of infant mortality, the less healthy a population is overall. The infant mortality rate is the number of infant deaths up to age one per 1,000 live births.
More alarmingly, the infant mortality rate for African American infants is 2 to 8 times higher than the rate of White, Hispanic, and Asian infants in Guilford County. In Guilford County in 2023, for instance, the infant mortality rate (IMR) for Black babies was 16.5 (an increase of 34% from 2022), while the IMR for White babies was 2.2. Black infant deaths make up 70% (up from 52% in 2021) of total infant deaths in Guilford County. For every White baby that died before their first birthday, nine Black babies died. In addition, Black birthing people at every socioeconomic level have higher rates of infant death than White birthing people who have not completed high school.
| Distressing trends that have persisted in our community: In 2023*… | ||
|---|---|---|
| 5,757 Babies were born in Guilford County | 53 Of these babies didn’t celebrate a first birthday | 70% Of these babies were African American from all socioeconomic levels |
Read our 2023 Infant Mortality Data Report
There are a variety of factors that create inequities in maternal health, including systemic racism and implicit bias that impact equitable access to high-quality care and improving health outcomes.
Drivers of Infant Mortality
- Environmental and life stressors, including systemic racism and discrimination
- Barriers to accessible resources and services
- Lack of knowledge about resources and services
- Individuals, and individuals of color in particular, do not feel empowered to self-advocate
- Healthcare” is narrowly defined