# Infant Mortality Rises, Racial Gaps Widen

> Racial disparities in infant mortality widen as sudden unexplained deaths surge.
- Title: Infant Mortality Rises, Racial Gaps Widen · PhillyVoice
- Summary: Racial disparities in infant mortality widen as sudden unexplained deaths surge. Black infant mortality rates increased while white rates fell after 2020…
- Keywords: infant mortality, racial disparities, sudden unexplained infant death, black infants, white infants, kff analysis, suid, preterm births, infant death rates, cdc, news, local
- Source: PhillyVoice — https://phillyvoice.com/infant-mortality-racial-gaps-sudden-unexplained-infant-deaths
- Published: 2026-09-29T17:54:19.892+00:00
- Read time: 2 min
- Topics: infant mortality, racial disparities, sudden unexplained infant death, black infants, white infants, kff analysis, suid, preterm births, infant death rates, cdc, news, local
## Infant Mortality Rates Rising
Infant mortality rates for black babies increased from 10.7 to 13.2 deaths per 1,000 live births between 2023 and 2024.
## White Infant Mortality Falls
White infant mortality rates dropped from 5.6 to 4.3 deaths per 1,000 live births between 2003 and 2024.
## Racial Disparities Widen
Black infants have more than twice the risk of death compared to white infants, with maternal mortality rates three times higher for black women.
## SUID Drives Gap
Sudden unexplained infant death rates among black americans ticked up since 2020 compared to white americans, accounting for 35% of the net change.
## Kff Analysis
A 2025 kff analysis of federal statistics shows black infants have more than twice the risk of death compared to white infants.
## Suid Definition
Sudden unexplained infant death includes sudden accidental deaths from suffocation and sudden natural deaths from infections, neurological disorders, and other medical issues.
## Suid Accounts for 35% of Gap
Sudden unexplained infant death accounts for 35% of the net change in the infant mortality gap between black and white americans.
## Suid Rates Increase
In 2024, there were about 3,400 sudden unexplained infant deaths, with 1,351 cases of sudden infant death syndrome.
## Suid Risk Factors
Risk factors for sudden infant death syndrome include exposure to smoking during pregnancy, unsafe sleeping positions, and exposure to alcohol during pregnancy.
## Prevention Tips
Having babies sleep on their backs, removing loose bedding from cribs, avoiding co-sleeping, and not swaddling once babies can roll over may reduce sids risk.
## Study Published
The study, published sept 22 in jama network open, analyzed data from the u.s. national center for health statistics between 2003 and 2024.
## Key takeaway

Black infant mortality rates increased while white rates fell after 2020, with sudden unexplained infant deaths driving the gap.