Infant Deaths

1. Group results by "15 Leading Causes of Death (Infants)" to get death counts and rates for the top 15 rankable causes of death, for your selected query criteria.
   • Note that cross-tabulations, zero value death counts, and suppressed values are not permitted when you group results by "15 Leading Causes."
   • When more than one rankable cause of death occurs in the last position, all these causes are shown.
   • The "leading causes of death" published by the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) are also called "rankable causes of death." The rankable causes are a subset of the 113 selected causes of death for all ages, and the 130 selected causes of death for infants. A "#" symbol preceding the label indicates a "rankable" cause of death, from the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) list of rankable causes of death.
2. To make a map, you must request data with a geographic location variable, such as State, as a "By-Variable." Then click the Map tab.
3. You cannot make charts when your data has more than two By-Variables.

• Click a round button to switch between the State and County list, the HHS Regions list, or the Census Regions and Census Divisions list.
• See How do I use a Finder? for more information.

Notes:   

• Data for mother's age at time of birth are derived from the "MAGER9" variable in the public use data.
• When the data results are exported to a file, the Age Group code is shown in a separate column from the category label.
  
  

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  	Code	Label
  	"15"	Under 15 years
  	"15-19"	15 - 19 years
  	"20-24"	20 - 24 years
  	"25-29"	25 - 29 years
  	"30-34"	30 - 34 years
  	"35-39"	35 - 39 years
  	"40-44"	40 - 44 years
  	"45-49"	45 - 49 years
  	"50-54"	50 - 54 years

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• About excluded maternal education data for years 2003-2006:
  Education data are recoded to "Excluded" for those reporting areas that have implemented the 2003 revision of the U.S. Standard Certificate of Birth, because their data for maternal education are not comparable to the data from the other reporting areas that still use the 1989 revision of the U.S. Standard Certificate of Birth. The following reporting areas have maternal education data excluded:
  • Pennsylvania and Washington state for births that occurred in 2003;
  • Florida, Idaho, Kentucky, New Hampshire, New York (excluding New York City), Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee and Washington state (9 reporting areas) for births that occurred in 2004;
  • Florida, Idaho, Kansas, Kentucky, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New York (excluding New York City), Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont and Washington state (13 reporting areas) for births that occurred in 2005;
  • California, Delaware, Florida, Idaho, Kansas, Kentucky, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New York (excluding New York City), North Dakota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Washington state, and Wyoming (19 reporting areas) for births that occurred in 2006.
• About excluded maternal education data for years 2007 through 2016:
  Education data are recoded to "Excluded" for those reporting areas that used the 1989 revision of the U.S. Standard Certificate of Birth, because their data for education are not comparable to the data from the reporting areas using the 2003 revision of the U.S. Standard Certificate of Birth.
  • Note that prior data years (data for deaths that occurred in years 2003 - 2006) excluded education and prenatal care data from those reporting areas that had adopted the 2003 revision of the U.S. Standard Certificate of Birth.
  • The following 33 reporting areas have education data excluded for births that occurred in 2007:  Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, District of Columbia, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon, Rhode Island, Utah, Virginia, West Virginia and Wisconsin.
  • The following 30 reporting areas have education data excluded for births that occurred in 2008:  Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Connecticut, District of Columbia, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon, Rhode Island, Utah, Virginia, West Virginia and Wisconsin.
  • The following 24 reporting areas have education data excluded for births that occurred in 2009:  Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Connecticut, District of Columbia, Hawaii, Illinois, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nevada, New Jersey, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, Utah, Virginia, West Virginia and Wisconsin.
  • The following 23 reporting areas have education data excluded for births that occurred in 2010:  Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Connecticut, District of Columbia, Hawaii, Illinois, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nevada, New Jersey, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, Virginia, West Virginia and Wisconsin.
  • The following 17 reporting areas have education data excluded for births that occurred in 2011:  Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Connecticut, Hawaii, Louisiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Mississippi, New Jersey, North Carolina, Rhode Island, Virginia, West Virginia and Wisconsin.
  • The following 14 reporting areas have education data excluded for births that occurred in 2012:  Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Connecticut, Hawaii, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Mississippi, New Jersey, Rhode Island, Virginia, and West Virginia.
  • The following 12 reporting areas have education data excluded for births that occurred in 2013:  Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Connecticut, Hawaii, Maine, Mississippi, New Jersey, Rhode Island, Virginia, and West Virginia.
  • The following 9 reporting areas have education data excluded for births that occurred in 2014:  Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Connecticut, Hawaii, Maine, New Jersey, Rhode Island, and West Virginia.
  • The following 2 reporting areas have education data excluded for births that occurred in 2015 and 2016:  Connecticut, and New Jersey.
• Maternal Education data are derived from the "MEDUC6" variable in the public use data for years 1995-2002, and derived from the "MEDUC_REC" variable in the public use data for years 2003-2006, and derived from the "MEDUC" variable in the public use data for year 2007 and later.
• When the data results are exported to a file, the Maternal Education codes are shown in a separate column from the category labels. Public Health Information Network (PHIN) compatible codes are used when applicable.

Notes:   

• Maternal Hispanic origin data are derived from the "ORRACEM" variable in the public use data for years 1999-2002, and derived from the "MRACEHISP" variable in the public use data for years 2003 and later.
When the data results are exported to a file, the Maternal Hispanic Origin code is shown in a separate column from the category label. Public Health Information Network (PHIN) compatible codes are used when applicable.



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	Code	Label
	"2148-5 "	Mexican
	"2180-8 "	Puerto Rican
	"2182-4 "	Cuban
	"4"	Central or South American
	"5"	Other and Unknown Hispanic
	"6"	Non-Hispanic White
	"7"	Non-Hispanic Black
	"8"	Non - Hispanic other races
	"9"	Origin unknown or not stated
	"100"	Not Reported

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Notes:   

• Maternal race data (8 categories) are derived from the "MRACE" variable in the public use data for years 1995-2002. Maternal Bridged Race data (4 categories) are derived from the "MRACEREC" variable in the public use data for years 2003 and later. Maternal Single Race data (6 categories) are derived from the "MRACE6" variable in the public use data for years 2017 and later.
• About "Single Race" categories for deaths in years 2017 and later: Mother's Single Race categories are available for infant deaths in years 2017 and later. Beginning in 2016, all jurisdictions and the National Center for Health Statistics are reporting race consistent with the 1997 Office of Management and Budget standards ("single race"). Single race is defined as one race reported on the birth certificate. Please see data corrections below for information on 2017 infant death rates by Mother's Single Race reported from July 22, 2019 until August 5, 2020.
• About the "Not Available" Single Race category for years 2007-2016:
  Single Race groups are only available for infant deaths in years 2017 and later. For infant deaths in years 2007-2016, mother's race is reported in the "Not Available" Single Race category and the measures for the 6 standard Single Race categories are reported as "Missing."
• About the "Not Available" Bridged Race category for years 2020-2021:
  Bridged Race groups are only available for infant deaths in years 2007-2019. For infant deaths in years 2020-2021, mother's race is reported in the "Not Available" Bridged Race category and the measures for the 4 standard Bridged Race categories are reported as "Missing."
• If you wish to look at trends across years for years 2003-2019 by maternal race, then filter or subset Bridged Race, or cross tabulate by Bridged Race, to calculate birth and fertility rates for specific maternal race groups. Note that the specific Single Race groups available in years 2017-2021 are not fully comparable to the specific Bridged Race groups, due to the addition of the "Multiple Race" category.
• When the data results are exported to a file, the Maternal Race code is shown in a separate column from the category label. Public Health Information Network (PHIN) compatible codes are used when applicable.
  
  

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  Maternal Race Categories for Years 1995 - 2002
  	Code	Label
  	"1002-5"	American Indian or Alaskan Native
  	"2054-5"	Black
  	"2034-7"	Chinese
  	"2036-2"	Filipino
  	"2076-8"	Hawaiian
  	"2039-6"	Japanese
  	"2028-9"	Other Asian
  	"2106-3"	White

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  Mother's Bridged Race Categories for Years 2003 and later
  	Code	Label
  	"1002-5"	American Indian or Alaskan Native
  	"API"	Asian / Pacific Islander
  	"2054-5"	Black
  	"2106-3"	White

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  Mother's Single Race Groups for Years 2017 and later:
  	Code	Label
  	"1002-5"	American Indian or Alaska Native
  	"A"	Asian
  	"2054-5"	Black or African American
  	"NHOPI"	Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander
  	"2106-3"	White
  	"M"	More than one race

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Notes:   

• Beginning in 2017, due to state statutory restrictions, California no longer provides record-level data on the marital status of the mother for births occurring to California residents and non-residents (including residents of other states). For these births, Marital Status is reported as "Not Available."
• Data for the mother's marital status are derived from the "DMAR" variable in the public use data for years 1995-2002, and from the "MAR" variable in the public use data for years 2003 and later.
• When the data results are exported to a file, the Marital Status code is shown in a separate column from the category label.
  
  

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  	Code	Label
  	"1"	Married
  	"2"	Unmarried
  	"9"	Unknown or not stated
  	"NA"	Not Available

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Notes:   

• About incomparable data:
  The Prenatal Care data are incomparable between these time periods:
  1. Data for years 1995-2002 use the 1989 U.S. Standard Certificate of Live Birth. No data are in the "Excluded" category.
  2. Data for years 2003-2006 are reported for births where the mother's reporting area of residence used the 1989 U.S. Standard Certificate of Live Birth, and data are recoded to "Excluded" for births where the mother's reporting area of residence used the 2003 U.S. standard Certificate of Live Birth.
  3. Data for year 2007 and later are reported for births where the mother's reporting area of residence used the 2003 U.S. Standard Certificate of Live Birth, and data are recoded to "Excluded" for births where the mother's reporting area of residence used the 1989 U.S. Standard Certificate of Live Birth.
• About excluded prenatal care data for years 2003-2006:
  Prenatal care data are recoded to "Excluded" for those reporting areas that have implemented the 2003 revision of the U.S. Standard Certificate of Birth, because their data for prenatal care are not comparable to the data from the other reporting areas that still use the 1989 revision of the U.S. Standard Certificate of Birth. The following reporting areas have prenatal care data excluded:
  • Pennsylvania and Washington state for births that occurred in 2003;
  • Florida, Idaho, Kentucky, New Hampshire, New York (excluding New York City), Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee and Washington state (9 reporting areas) for births that occurred in 2004;
  • Florida, Idaho, Kansas, Kentucky, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New York (excluding New York City), Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont and Washington state (13 reporting areas) for births that occurred in 2005;
  • Delaware, Florida, Idaho, Kansas, Kentucky, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New York (excluding New York City), North Dakota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Washington state, and Wyoming (18 reporting areas) for births that occurred in 2006.
• About excluded prenatal care data for years 2007 through 2016:
  Prenatal care data are recoded to "Excluded" for those reporting areas that used the 1989 revision of the U.S. Standard Certificate of Birth, because their data for education and prenatal care are not comparable to the data from the reporting areas using the 2003 revision of the U.S. Standard Certificate of Birth.
  • Note that prior data years (data for deaths that occurred in years 2003-2006) excluded education and prenatal care data from those reporting areas that had adopted the 2003 revision of the U.S. Standard Certificate of Birth.
  • In California, the prenatal care data are recoded to "Excluded" and Maternal Education data are not recoded, for births occurring in 2007.
  • The following 34 reporting areas have prenatal care data excluded for births that occurred in 2007: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, District of Columbia, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon, Rhode Island, Utah, Virginia, West Virginia and Wisconsin.
  • The following 30 reporting areas have prenatal care data excluded for births that occurred in 2008: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Connecticut, District of Columbia, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon, Rhode Island, Utah, Virginia, West Virginia and Wisconsin.
  • The following 24 reporting areas have prenatal care data excluded for births that occurred in 2009: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Connecticut, District of Columbia, Hawaii, Illinois, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nevada, New Jersey, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, Utah, Virginia, West Virginia and Wisconsin.
  • The following 23 reporting areas have prenatal care data excluded for births that occurred in 2010: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Connecticut, District of Columbia, Hawaii, Illinois, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nevada, New Jersey, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, Virginia, West Virginia and Wisconsin.
  • The following 17 reporting areas have prenatal care data excluded for births that occurred in 2011: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Connecticut, Hawaii, Louisiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Mississippi, New Jersey, North Carolina, Rhode Island, Virginia, West Virginia and Wisconsin.
  • The following 14 reporting areas have prenatal care data excluded for births that occurred in 2012: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Connecticut, Hawaii, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Mississippi, New Jersey, Rhode Island, Virginia, and West Virginia.
  • The following 12 reporting areas have prenatal care data excluded for births that occurred in 2013: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Connecticut, Hawaii, Maine, Mississippi, New Jersey, Rhode Island, Virginia, and West Virginia.
  • The following 9 reporting areas have prenatal care data excluded for births that occurred in 2014: Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Connecticut, Hawaii, Maine, New Jersey, Rhode Island, and West Virginia.
  • The following 2 reporting areas have prenatal care data excluded for births that occurred in 2015 and 2016: Connecticut, and New Jersey.
• Prenatal care data are derived from the "MONPRE" variable in the public use data for years 1995-2002, and derived from the "MPCB" variable in the public use data for years 2003-2006, and derived from the "PRECARE" variable in the public use data for year 2007 and later.
• When the data results are exported to a file, the code is shown in a separate column from the category label.
  
  

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  	Code	Label
  	"00"	No prenatal care
  	"01"	1st month
  	"02"	2nd month
  	"03"	3rd month
  	"04"	4th month
  	"05"	5th month
  	"06"	6th month
  	"07"	7th month
  	"08"	8th month
  	"09"	9th month
  	"11"	Excluded
  	"12"	Unknown or not stated

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• Click a round button to switch between the gestational age lists for years 1999 and later.
• Select your desired age groups. See How do I select items from the list box?.
• Hint:
  The round radio button indicates the selected list, any selections in the other gestational age at birth lists are ignored. The gestational age at birth "by-variables" in section 1 and the radio button selections must match. For example, if you select to group by "Gestational Age - weekly," then the radio button automatically sets to the "Gestational Age - weekly" selection list. If you change the radio button to a different list, then the "by-variable" also changes to match.

Notes:   

• Gestational age at birth based on Last Menstrual Period (LMP) are available for deaths since 1995.
• Gestational age at birth based on Obstetrician's Estimate (OE) are available for deaths in 2015 and later years.
• About "Not Applicable" measures:
  • Statistical measures for Obstetrician's Estimate (OE) based gestational age groups are reported as "Not "Applicable" for deaths before years 2015, because these data are not currently available in CDC WONDER.
  • Beginning in 2014, the National Center for Health Statistics changed the standard for gestational period from the Last Menstrual Period based gestation period to the Obstetric/Clinical Gestation Estimate based gestation period.
• The "Gestational Age at Birth" data for years 1995-1998 correspond to the "LMP Gestational Age 10" categories for years 1999 and later.
• The "Gestational Age at Birth" data for years 1995-1998 and the "Gestational Age 10" (formerly named "Gestational Age Group2") data are derived from the "GESTAT10" variable in the public use data for years 1995-2002, and derived from the "GESTREC10" variable in the public use data for years 2003 and later.
• The "Gestational Age 11" (formerly named "Gestational Age Group1") and the "Gestational Age - weekly" data are derived from the "COMBGEST" variable in the public use data for years 1999 and later.
• The categories in the former "Gestational Age Group1" changed with the April 2013 data release, to the 11 age groups now listed under "Gestational Age 11." A new category was introduced: "39 weeks". The data code values changed, please see the tables below. Before the April 2013 release, the "Gestation Age Group1" categories for years 1999-2008 were: Under 20 weeks; 20-27 weeks; 28-31 weeks; 32-33 weeks; 34-36 weeks; 37-39 weeks; 40 weeks; 41 weeks; 42 or more weeks; Unknown.
• When the data results are exported to a file, the Gestational Age codes are shown in a separate column from the category label.

Notes:   

• About low birth weight:
  ICD - 9 and ICD - 10 define low birthweight as less than 2,500 grams. This is a shift of 1 gram from the previous criterion of 2,500 grams or less, which was recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics in 1935 and adopted in 1948 by the World Health Organization in the International Lists of Diseases and Causes of Death, Sixth Revision.
• About comparing grams to pounds and ounces :
  The categories in gram intervals and their equivalents in pounds and ounces are as follows:
  Less than 500 grams = 1 lb 1 oz or less
  500 - 999 grams = 1 lb 2 oz - 2 lb 3 oz
  1,000 - 1,499 grams = 2 lb 4 oz - 3 lb 4 oz
  1,500 - 1,999 grams = 3 lb 5 oz - 4 lb 6 oz
  2,000 - 2,499 grams = 4 lb 7 oz - 5 lb 8 oz
  2,500 - 2,999 grams = 5 lb 9 oz - 6 lb 9 oz
  3,000 - 3,499 grams = 6 lb 10 oz - 7 lb 11 oz
  3,500 - 3,999 grams = 7 lb 12 oz - 8 lb 13 oz
  4,000 - 4,499 grams = 8 lb l4 oz - 9 lb l4 oz
  4,500 - 4,999 grams = 9 lb 15 oz - 11 lb 0 oz
  5,000 grams or more = 11 lb l oz or more
• Birth weight data are derived from the "BIRWT12" variable in the public use data for years 1995-2002 and 2004, and derived from the "BWTR14" variable in the public use data for years 2003, and 2005-2021.
• When the data results are exported to a file, the Birth Weight code is shown in a separate column from the category label. See the table below.
  
  

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  	Code	Label
  	"01"	499 grams or less
  	"02"	500 - 999 grams
  	"03"	1000 - 1499
  	"04"	1500 - 1999 grams
  	"05"	2000 - 2499 grams
  	"06"	2500 - 2999 grams
  	"07"	3000 - 3499 grams
  	"08"	3500 - 3999 grams
  	"09"	4000 - 4499 grams
  	"10"	4500 - 4999 grams
  	"11"	5000 - 8165 grams
  	"12"	Not stated

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• Notes:   
• Plurality data are derived from the "DPLURAL" variable in the public use data for years 1995 and later.
• Effective May 2022, Plurality data are available in three categories:  Single; Twin; Triplet or higher. Before May 2022, Plurality data for infant deaths in years 1999-2019 were available for additional categories: Triplet, Quadruplet, Quintuplet or more.
• When the data results are exported to a file, the Plurality code is shown in a separate column from the category label.
  
  

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  	Code	Label
  	"1"	Single
  	"2"	Twin
  	"3"	Triplet or higher
  Before May 2022:
  	"3"	Triplet
  	"4"	Quadruplet
  	"5"	Quintuplet or more

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Notes:   

• Live birth order data are derived from the "DLIVORD" variable in the public use data for years 1995-2002, and derived from the "LBO" variable in the years 2003 and later.
• When the data results are exported to a file, the code is shown in a separate column from the category label.

Notes:   

• Birthplace data are derived from the "PLDEL" variable in the public use data for years 1999-2002, and derived from the "BFACIL3" variable in the years 2003 and later.
• When the data results are exported to a file, the code is shown in a separate column from the category label.
  
  

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  	Code	Label
  	"1"	In Hospital
  	"2"	Not in Hospital
  	"3"	Unknown or Not Stated

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Notes:   

• Method of delivery data are derived from the "DELMETH5" variable in the public use data for years 1999-2002, and derived from the "DMETH_REC" variable in the years 2003 and later.
• When the data results are exported to a file, the code is shown in a separate column from the category label.
  
  

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  	Code	Label
  	"1"	Vaginal
  	"2"	Cesarean
  	"9"	Not Stated

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Notes:   

• Birth Attendant data are derived from the "BIRATTND" variable in the public use data for years 1999-2002, and derived from the "ATTEND" variable in the years 2003 and later.
• The category for Certified Nurse Midwife (CNM / CM) represents certified nurse midwife (CNM), certified midwife (CM), and advanced practice registered nurse (APRN). The category for Other Midwife represents a midwife other than CNM/CM, and includes Certified Professional Midwife (CPM).
• When the data results are exported to a file, the code is shown in a separate column from the category label.
  
  

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  	Code	Label
  	"3"	Certified Nurse Midwife (CNM / CM)
  	"1"	Doctor of Medicine (MD)
  	"2"	Doctor of Osteopathy (DO)
  	"5"	Other
  	"4"	Other Midwife
  	"9"	Unknown or Not Stated

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• Click a round button to switch between the ICD chapter and code list, or by the Selected Causes group and ICD code list.
• See How do I use a Finder? for more information.

• The default is all values (all causes of death).
• The Advanced mode let you easily pick several items from different parts of the list. Items are not selected until you click the "Move" button in Advanced mode. You may also enter values by hand, one code per line, in the Advanced mode. Use the Finder to see the correct code format. For example, "GR130-120" the Selected Causes group code for Congenital hydrocephalus. .
• The "plus" symbol, "+" indicates that you can open the item, to see more items below it.
• The results to a search are shown in blue, and indicated by ">".

• About the International Classification of Diseases:
  The mortality data are compiled in accordance with the World Health Organization (WHO) regulations, which specify that member nations classify and code causes of death in accordance with the current revision of the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems (ICD). The International Classification of Diseases is developed collaboratively between the World Health Organization (WHO) and 10 international centers, for purposes of ensuring that medical terms reported on death certificates are internationally comparable and lend themselves to statistical analysis. The ICD has been revised approximately every 10 years since 1900 in order to reflect changes in understanding of disease mechanisms and in disease terminology.
• About the 9th and 10th ICD revisions:
  During the years 1979-1998, the United States used the Ninth Revision of the ICD (ICD-9) to code causes of death. Effective with deaths occurring in 1999, the United States began using the Tenth Revision of this classification, (ICD-10). The two revisions differ substantially, and to prevent confusion about the significance of any specific disease code, data queries are separate. For more information, see Comparability of Cause-of-Death Between ICD Revisions.
• About selecting causes of death for infants:
  
  • Years 1999 and later classify deaths by International Classification of Diseases, revision 10 chapters, sub-chapters and specific causes of death.
    1. International Classification of Diseases, revision 10 chapters, sub-chapters and specific causes of death.
    2. 130 Selected Causes of Infant Death grouped causes of death in International Classification of Diseases, revision 10.
  • Years 1995-1998 classify deaths by:
    1. International Classification of Diseases, revision 9 chapters, sub-chapters and specific causes of death.
    2. 72 Selected Causes of Death grouped causes of death in International Classification of Diseases, revision 9.

ICD-10 Changes

About changes in the ICD-10 codes:  
The valid ICD-10 codes used to classify underlying cause of death change over time. Effective with the 2003 data year, 1 code was introduced. Effective with the 2006 data year, 18 codes were introduced as valid causes of death, and 4 codes were discontinued. Effective with the 2007 data year, 4 codes were introduced as valid causes of death, and 2 codes were discontinued. Effective with the 2009 data year, 5 codes were introduced as valid causes of death, and 11 codes were discontinued. Effective with the 2011 data year, 33 codes were introduced as valid causes of death. Effective with the 2019 data year, 1 code was introduced as a valid cause of death. Effective with the 2020 data year, 1 code was introduced as a valid cause of death.

ICD-10 Codes

Limit the data to any number of causes of death, for selected chapters, sub-chapters or codes.

ICD-9 Codes

Limit the data to any number of causes of death, for selected chapters, sub-chapters or codes.

ICD-10 130 Cause List (Infants)

Limit the data to any number of groups of selected causes of death, or individual codes.

ICD-9 72 Groups

Limit the data to any number of groups of selected causes of death.

Limit your data for any of the following data elements:

1. Age of Infant at Death - under 1 hour; 1-23 hours; 1-6 days; 7-27 days; 28-364 days.
2. Year of Death - 1995-2002.
3. Gender (sex) of Child - Female; Male.

Age of Infant at Death

Year of Death

1. one for the years 1995-1998 with ICD-9 codes;
2. another for the years 1999-2002 with ICD-10 codes;
3. a third for years 2003-2006 with ICD-10 codes, more counties, and bridged-race categories;
4. a fourth for years 2007-2021 with different categories for maternal education, and prenatal care for births where the mother's reporting area of residence used the 2003 U.S. standard Certificate of Live Birth;
5. a fifth for years 2017-2021 with "expanded" data providing access to more detailed information.
   How?    See How do I select items from the list box?.

   Note:   Data indicating the year of the infant's death are implicit in the public use data for years 1995-2021. The year of death may be recorded in the last field of the public use data.

   
   

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   Gender of Child

   This field indicates the gender of the child at birth.

   How?     See How do I select items from the list box?.

   Notes:   

   • Data indicating the gender of the child at birth are derived from the "CSEX" field in the public use data for years 1995- 2002, and derived from the "SEX" field in the public use data for years 1999-2021.
   • When the data results are exported to a file, the Gender code is shown in a separate column from the category label.
     
     

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     	Code	Label
     	"F"	Female
     	"M"	Male

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See Source in the Summary section above, or see the suggested citation below. To learn more about the methods and source of these data please refer to:

• Linked Birth and Infant Death Data web page from the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS)
• Vital Stats Online

Publications:

• Guides to data:
  1. Guide to 2021 Period / 2020 Cohort Linked Birth / Infant Death Data
  2. Guide to 2020 Period / 2019 Cohort Linked Birth / Infant Death Data
  3. Guide to 2019 Period / 2018 Cohort Linked Birth / Infant Death Data
  4. Guide to 2018 Period / 2017 Cohort Linked Birth / Infant Death Data
  5. Guides to 1995 - 2017 Period Linked Birth / Infant Death Data
• Reports:
  1. 2021 Infant Mortality Statistics
  2. 2020 Infant Mortality Statistics
  3. 2019 Infant Mortality Statistics
  4. 2018 Infant Mortality Statistics
  5. 2017 Infant Mortality Statistics
  6. 2013 Infant Mortality Statistics
  7. 2010 Infant Mortality Statistics
  8. 2009 Infant Mortality Statistics
  9. 2008 Infant Mortality Statistics
  10. 2007 Infant Mortality Statistics
  11. 2006 Infant Mortality Statistics
  12. 2005 Infant Mortality Statistics
  13. 2004 Infant Mortality Statistics
  14. 2003 Infant Mortality Statistics
  15. Explaining the 2001-2002 Infant Mortality Increase
  16. 2002 Infant Mortality Statistics
  17. 2001 Infant Mortality Statistics
  18. 2000 Infant Mortality Statistics
  19. 1999 Infant Mortality Statistics
  20. 1998 Infant Mortality Statistics
  21. 1997 Infant Mortality Statistics
  22. 1996 Infant Mortality Statistics
  23. 1995 Infant Mortality Statistics

Other Issues

• Weight Factors: Changes Beginning with the 1995 Data Year
• Locations - changes to state and county areas and codes over time
• Additional Information - data comparability issues, reporting anomalies, data corrections, etc.

Weight Factors: Changes Beginning with the 1995 Data Year

Beginning in 1995 data, linked file records are weighted to compensate for the <1 to 3 percent of infant death records which could not be linked to their corresponding birth certificates. Although every effort has been made to design weights which will accurately reflect the distribution of deaths by characteristics, weighting may contribute to small differences in numbers and rates by specific variables between the linked file and the vital statistics mortality files.

A weight has been added to the linked numerator file to correct in part for biases in percent of records linked by major characteristics. The number of infant deaths in the linked file are weighted to equal the sum of the linked plus unlinked infant deaths by age at death and state. The formula for computing the weights is as follows:

(number of linked infant deaths + number of unlinked infant deaths)

A separate weight is computed for each reporting area of residence of birth and each age at death category. Thus, weights are 1.0 for reporting areas which link all of their infant deaths. The denominator file is not weighted. Note that for years 1983-2001, these age at death groups are used to construct weights: <1 day, 1 to 27 days, 28 days to 1 year. For year 2002 and later, the age at death cohorts for constructing weights changed as follows: <7 days, 7-27 days, 28 days to 1 year.

An imputation for not-stated birthweight has been added to the data set, to reduce potential bias in the computation of birthweight-specific infant mortality rates. Basically, if birthweight is not-stated and the period of gestation is known, birthweight is assigned the value from the previous record with the same period of gestation, race, sex, and plurality. Imputed values are flagged.

For more detail, and to see the percentage of records linked for each year of data, please see the methodology sections in the publications listed at Data Source Information.

Locations - About FIPS State and County Codes

The FIPS state and county codes were established by the National Bureau of Standards, U.S. Department of Commerce in 1968. This standard set of codes provides names and codes for counties and county equivalents of the 50 states of the United States and the District of Columbia. Counties are considered to be the "first order subdivisions " of each State, regardless of their local designation (county, parish, borough). Washington, D.C.; the consolidated government of Columbus, Georgia; the independent cities of the states of Maryland, Missouri, Nevada, and Virginia; the census areas and boroughs of Alaska; and that part of Yellowstone Park in Montana are identified as county equivalents. The system is standard throughout the Federal Government. The state codes are ascending, two-digit numbers; the county codes are ascending three-digit numbers. For both the state and county codes, space has been left for new states or counties. Some changes in the FIPS codes have occurred since 1968.

A modified version of the FIPS state and county codes is used to identify states and counties on NCHS public-use data files. The modifications as implemented in the Linked Birth / Infant Death public-use data are described below.

Modifications of FIPS State and County Codes

1. Counties with populations under 250,000 persons are grouped into "Unidentified Counties" (FIPS code 999) to protect privacy.
2. A portion of Adams county, Colorado (FIPS code 08001) was moved into Broomfield County, Colorado (FIPS code 08014), which was created effective November 15, 2001 from parts of four counties: Adams, Boulder, Jefferson, and Weld.
3. Dade county, Florida (FIPS code 12025) was renamed Miami-Dade County (FIPS code 12086) effective November 13, 1997. However, the area is coded to Dade (12025) for all years.
4. Baltimore county, Maryland (FIPS code 24005) is reported separately from the independent city of Baltimore, Maryland (FIPS code 24510).
5. The independent city of Baltimore, Maryland (FIPS code 24510) is reported separately from Baltimore county (FIPS code 24005).
6. St. Louis county (FIPS code 29189) is reported separately from the independent city of St. Louis, Missouri (FIPS code 29510).
7. The independent city of St. Louis, Missouri (FIPS code 29510) is reported separately from St. Louis county (FIPS code 29189).
8. Bronx, New York (FIPS code 36005) represents Bronx Borough, New York City.
9. Kings county, New York (FIPS code 36047) represents Brooklyn Borough, New York City.
10. New York county, New York (FIPS code 36061) represents Manhattan Borough, New York City.
11. Queens, New York (FIPS code 36081) represents Queens Borough, New York City.
12. Richmond county, New York (FIPS code 36085) represents Staten Island Borough, New York City.

For more information on county level data, refer to the sections discussing About Counties, Unidentified Counties and Missing Counties.