| Infant Mortality rate (per 1,000 births)- Every child is ready for school on the first day of Kindergarten |
Strategic Priorities |
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4.1 Significantly reduce infant mortality
- Every child is ready for school on the first day of Kindergarten
About this measure |
This measure features the rate of infant deaths per 1,000 births. It is for live born babies that die within their first year of life. Reported data are sourced from the Ohio Department of Health.
Why is this important? |
Community experts use the rate of infant mortality as a strong indicator of a population’s health and of society’s ability to support its most vulnerable members — it reflects not only the care a mother and father receives during pregnancy and the care a baby receives after birth, but also the long-term health of the parents, the broader health of the surrounding community, and a range of persistent issues, including racism and poverty.
For five decades, Greater Cleveland had one of the worst rates of infant mortality (defined as babies dying before their first birthday) in the nation. In 2015, Greater Cleveland's rate of infant deaths was nearly double the average for the United States – 10.5 deaths per 1,000 live births versus 5.8 nationally.
How are we making an impact? | |
This is a community indicator measure. It is provided to show an understanding of overall community health. The County organization does not directly control the outcome of this measure; however, a number of programs and initiatives the County is undertaking can have an impact.
On December 30, 2015, community leaders from all sectors (civic, business, government, faith-based, nonprofit, education, health care) joined the County Executive's Office and City of Cleveland leadership to form First Year Cleveland and create a bold, data informed plan to solve the unsolvable. Since its inception, First Year Cleveland has analyzed the complex problem of infant mortality, gained a better understanding of why babies are dying, and adopted the mission to mobilize the community through partnerships and a unified strategy to reduce infant deaths including racial disparities. Since 2015, infant deaths have decreased by more than 20%, but an additional decrease of 30% is needed to reach the goal of an infant mortality rate of 6.0 by end of 2020.
Additional Resources |
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| Comparative Analysis |
Infant Mortality Rate Historical Performance |
Data Source |
Cuyahoga County: Cuyahoga County Board of Health
Comparative Analysis: Ohio Department of Health, Pennsylvania Department of Health, Florida Department of Health, and Indiana State Department of Health
Measure Data |
| Period | | Status | Black | White | Hispanic | Overall |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | | Community Indicator | 15.00 | 4.50 | 6.90 | 8.70 |
| 2017 | | Community Indicator | 16.30 | 2.30 | 8.50 | 8.10 |
| 2018 | | Community Indicator | 14.20 | 4.00 | 9.80 | 8.20 |
| 2019 | | Not Defined |