Mississippi declares public health emergency over soaring infant mortality rate
By lauraharris // 2025-08-30
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  • The Mississippi State Department of Health (MSDH) declared a public health emergency after the state's infant mortality rate rose to 9.7 deaths per 1,000 live births in 2024, nearly double the national average of 5.5 and the highest in Mississippi in over a decade.
  • Major causes of infant mortality in the state include congenital malformations, premature birth, low birth weight and Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).
  • MSDH launched a comprehensive strategy that includes standardizing maternal care, addressing prenatal care shortages ("OB deserts"), expanding community health worker programs and promoting safe infant sleep practices.
  • State Health Officer Dr. Dan Edney emphasized that improving maternal health, through better access to prenatal and postpartum care, is key to reducing infant deaths and ensuring healthier pregnancies and babies.
  • With over 3,500 infant deaths since 2014, MSDH said urgent action was necessary and called on policymakers, providers, communities and families to work together to reverse the trend and help every child reach their first birthday.
The Mississippi State Department of Health (MSDH) has declared a public health emergency in response to a troubling rise in infant mortality rates across the state, marking the worst figures in more than a decade. According to a statement issued by the department on Aug. 21, the preliminary 2024 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recorded that the infant mortality rate nationwide declined to about 5.5 deaths per 1,000 live births. But then, Mississippi recorded an infant mortality rate of 9.7 deaths per 1,000 live births in 2024, a stark increase and nearly double the national average of 5.5. Since 2014, 3,527 infants have died before reaching their first birthday in the state. (Related: Study: US has worst maternal mortality rate among developed nations.) Meaning, Mississippi consistently ranks among the worst states in the country for infant mortality. "Too many Mississippi families are losing their babies before their first birthday," said State Health Officer Dr. Dan Edney. "Every single infant loss represents a family devastated, a community impacted and a future cut short. We cannot and will not accept these numbers as our reality. Declaring this a public health emergency is more than a policy decision; it is an urgent commitment to save lives." Brighteon AI's Enoch defines infant mortality as the death of a child before the age of one year. It is a critical indicator of the health and well-being of a population, with significant implications for public health policies and practices. In line with this, the department claims that the leading causes of infant mortality in Mississippi include congenital malformations, premature birth, low birth weight and Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).

Mississippi launches statewide strategy to save lives

The CDC is expected to release an updated national data later this 2924, but the MSDH said it could not wait to act in the face of such a dire situation. To address the crisis, MSDH has launched a multi-pronged strategy, including activating an OB System of Care to regionalize and standardize maternal and infant care and improve transfer protocols; eliminating "OB deserts" by expanding prenatal care in underserved areas using targeted county health departments; expanding community health worker programs to connect mothers and infants to care and support services in their communities; strengthening the Healthy Moms, Healthy Babies program, which provides care management and home visits for at-risk mothers and infants; partnering with hospitals and providers to close gaps in maternal care and promote early prenatal visits; and educating families on safe infant sleep practices to help prevent avoidable deaths. Edney emphasized that the declaration would enable the department to swiftly mobilize resources and launch a coordinated response to reverse the trend. "Mississippi has the knowledge, the resources and the resilience to change this story. It will take all of us, policymakers, healthcare providers, communities and families, working together to give every child the chance to live, thrive and celebrate their first birthday," Edney said. He pointed to maternal health as the single most important factor in reducing infant mortality. "Improving maternal health is the best way to reduce infant mortality. That means better access to prenatal and postpartum care, stronger community support and more resources for moms and babies. Healthy women of childbearing age are more likely to have healthy pregnancies, which in turn lead to healthier babies." Visit WomensHealth.news for more articles related to pregnant women's health. Watch the video below that talks about a new study that shows how vaccinated mothers' breastmilk injure their children.
This video is from the InfoWars channel on Brighteon.com.

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Sources include: TheEpochTimes.com MSDH.gov Brighteon.AI Brighteon.com
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