SMC Online Doula Training – August 2026
Instructor:
- Organized by
-
Valeria A- Michigan mortality rate
Valeria A- Michigan mortality rate
According to the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, 723 Michigan infants died before reaching one year of age in 2018. Michigan’s overall infant mortality rate was 6.6 deaths per 1,000 live births.
The 2018 rates by race were:
White infants: 363 deaths among 80,003 live births, for a rate of 4.5 deaths per 1,000 live births. Black infants: 326 deaths among 21,643 live births, for a rate of 15.1 deaths per 1,000 live births. Infants classified as “Other” races: 23 deaths among 8,099 live births, for a rate of 2.8 deaths per 1,000 live births. The report also showed that the Native American infant mortality rate averaged 12.2 deaths per 1,000 live births during 2016–2018.
The most concerning finding was the racial disparity between Black and White infants. In 2018, Black infants in Michigan died at approximately 3.4 times the rate of White infants. Although Black infants represented a much smaller number of Michigan births, their number of infant deaths was nearly as high as the number among White infants.
These statistics demonstrate that infant mortality does not affect every racial community equally. The racial disparity may be connected to differences in access to quality prenatal care, preterm birth, low birth weight, chronic stress, environmental conditions, and unequal treatment within the healthcare system. As a future doula, this information reinforces the importance of listening to Black mothers, advocating for their concerns, providing education and emotional support, and helping families access appropriate maternal and infant healthcare resources.
You can find the graph on page 22.
Source: Michigan Department of Health and Human Services — 2018 Infant Death Report
(https://www.mdch.state.mi.us/osr/annuals/Infant%20Deaths%202018.pdf)
- 1 Reply
The writing is on the wall 😔
Log in to reply.