Total infant deaths in 2025 were about 19,350, down from roughly 20,050 in 2024 and 20,160 in 2023, based on provisional CDC data.

Geographic differences persist, with Mississippi experiencing the highest infant mortality rate at about 9.65 per 1,000 births and New Hampshire the lowest at just under 3 per 1,000.

Racial disparities remain, as infant mortality for babies born to Black women is more than twice that of babies born to Hispanic, white, and Asian American women.

Experts say progress continues but call for ongoing attention to access to care, social determinants, and policies shaping infant health outcomes.

Researchers attribute the downward trend to medical advances and public health efforts, while noting uncertainty about the exact drivers.

A decline in sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) may be linked to increased education on safe sleeping practices for infants.

Another factor cited for the SIDS decline is heightened safe-sleep education for caregivers, per Dr. Michael Warren of the March of Dimes.

Public health leaders also point to education on safe sleeping as a notable contributor to the reduction in SIDS rates.

Contributing factors to recent improvements include 2023 measures against RSV, such as a lab-made antibody shot for infants and an RSV vaccine for pregnant women.

Public health measures introduced in 2023, including the infant RSV antibody and maternal RSV vaccine, are viewed as likely drivers of declines in 2024 and possibly 2025.

Researchers credit 2023–2024 interventions with reducing infant deaths in 2024, and public health officials expect ongoing benefits.

Despite progress, the U.S. infant mortality rate remains higher than other high-income countries, with poverty and limited prenatal care cited as contributing factors.