March 13, 2023 --Sudden unexplained infant deaths among Blacks went up sharply in 2020 compared to the previous year, according to research conducted by the CDC that was published in the journal Pediatrics.
The SUID rate among Black infants was 214 per 100,000 live births in 2020, up from 189.9 in 2019. For White infants, the SUID rate dropped to 75.6 in 2020 from 78.8 in 2019. For American Indian or Alaskan Natives, the SUID rate was 205.1 in 2020, down from 207.4 in 2019.
SUIDs is a classification of child deaths that includes the better-known sudden infant death syndrome, accidental suffocation and strangulation in bed, and unknown causes. Overall, SUID rates went up slightly in the U.S., to 92.1% in 2020 from 89.5% in 2019.
The study said the evidence does not show that the COVID pandemic had an effect on SUID rates, except for Blacks. The increase among Black infants reflected “societal failures,” according to a commentary accompanying the study.
“These disparities are likely multifactorial, reflecting poverty levels, lack of access to prenatal and well-childcare, and education regarding safe sleep and other practices, including the feeding of human milk, which can reduce the risk of SUID, and social norms related to these practices that vary between communities,” the commentary said.
About half of SUIDs are SIDS. The SIDS rate among all groups went up 15% from 2019 to 2020, moving from the fourth to the third leading cause of infant death, the study said. However, the increase may reflect “shifting diagnostic criteria” in classifying infant deaths on death certificates rather than a true rise, the study said.
The overall infant mortality rate hit a record low in 2020: 541.9 infant deaths per 100,000 live births. That’s a 1.17% decline from 2019, the CDC says.
