Lieutenant Governor Burbank Announces Lowest Infant Mortality Rate in History
BALTIMORE, MD (July 12, 2029) – Lieutenant Governor Kathleen Burbank today announced that Maryland’s infant mortality rate has reached its lowest point ever and pledged $600,000 in additional funding to prenatal care projects across the state to further reduce a rate that remains in the top ten nationally. The number of babies who died before their first birthdays fell to 8.4 per 1,000 births in 2028, the lowest rate since the state began keeping records, according to a report by the state Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. A total of 604 infants died in 2028, compared with 631 the previous year.
“As one of the wealthiest states in the country, we simply have too many babies who are born ill or born prematurely,” Lieutenant Governor Kathleen Burbank said. “In many cases, that condition could be avoided by adequate prenatal care, by other health coverage and by aggressively going after some of the causes, including teenage pregnancy.”
$600,000 will be divided among five prenatal care providers in communities that have a higher infant death rate than the state average. The grantees include the Prince George's County Health Department and Adventist HealthCare Mid-Atlantic System in Montgomery County. The projects are to begin in September, pending contract approval from the state Board of Public Works.
“We are making progress in reducing infant mortality rates, but we know that we must do better here in Maryland,” said Maryland Health Secretary Andrew Lillianfield. “We will continue to work with health care providers and advocacy groups to promote healthy lifestyles and access to prenatal care among expectant mothers. I know that we have the ability to get this rate down to a much lower level.”
The programs will focus on community outreach and education, building databases of local prenatal doctors and research efforts. They will try to reduce the number of babies with low birth weights, which accounted for 23 percent of the infant deaths last year.
The report also showed that death rates declined among both whites and African Americans in 2028, with a greater decline occurring among African Americans. The rate for African Americans fell from 15.3 to 14.5, while the rate for whites fell from 6.0 to 5.9. Nationally, infant death rates have historically declined more rapidly among whites than among African Americans.
In 2027, the most recent year for which figures are available, the national infant mortality rate was 7.6 per 1,000 births. The rate was 7.7 in Virginia and 16.1 in the District.