Ohio’s infant mortality rate continues to be among the worst in the nation. Now a new state report shows an uptick in Ohio's infant mortality rate, with black babies dying at a rate approaching three times that of whites.
Data released Wednesday by the Ohio Department of Health shows the state's overall infant mortality rate increased to 7.2 deaths per 1,000 births last year. That's up from a rate of 6.8 deaths the year before. The three leading causes of deaths continued to be prematurity, sleep-related deaths and birth defects.
Ohio had 1,005 infants die before their first birthdays in 2015, compared with 955 in 2014.
