MSDH marks Infant Mortality Awareness Month amid Mississippi’s ongoing crisis

Written on 09/04/2026
Griffin Ray

The Mississippi State Department of Health is again recognizing the month of September as Infant Mortality Awareness Month with the goal of reducing the number of babies that die in their first year.

According to the MSDH, the infant mortality rate is a prominent issue that has plagued Mississippi for years, leading the nation in the number of babies who pass away before the age of 1. While the rate in 2025 was not provided, in 2024, per 1,000 births, an average of 9.7 babies died in Mississippi.

“Too many families are losing their babies before their first birthday,” State Health Officer and MSDH Executive Director Dr. Dan Edney said. “We will not accept these numbers as our reality. Mississippi has the knowledge, the resources and the resilience to change this story.”

Large contributors to infant mortality in Mississippi are low birthweight, premature deliveries, and maternal health issues. Additionally, Sudden Unexpected Infant Death could occur due to unsafe sleep conditions, which are twice the national average in Mississippi. According to the most recent Mississippi Infant Mortality Report, Black babies are three times more likely to die from premature births as well as from SUID than white babies in their first year.

RELATED: Mississippi health officials launch infant mortality campaign to reverse troubling stats

“We have worked diligently to tackle this issue, but we still lead the nation in infant mortality,” Edney said. “The best way to reduce infant mortality is to improve maternal health. Healthy women are more likely to have healthy pregnancies, which in turn leads to healthier babies who live to celebrate many birthdays.”

To help prevent infant deaths, the MSDH encourages families to follow these recommendations:

  • Improve infant safe sleep practices to reduce accidental sleep-related deaths.
  • Promote early entry into prenatal care (first trimester).
  • Eliminate alcohol, drugs, and tobacco during pregnancy.
  • Improve the health of women before and between pregnancies.
  • Lower the risk of preterm deliveries among pregnant women.
  • Manage pre-existing chronic diseases in women of childbearing age.
“It will take all of us – policymakers, healthcare providers, communities and families – working together to give every child the chance to live, thrive and celebrate their first birthday,” Edney concluded.