The Mississippi State Department of Health (MSDH) has declared a public health emergency after new data revealed that Mississippi’s 2024 infant mortality rate rose to 9.7 deaths per 1,000 live births; the highest in more than a decade. Since 2014, 3,527 Mississippi babies have died before their first birthday.
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.
What Is Infant Mortality?
Infant mortality refers to the death of a baby before the age of one. The leading causes in Mississippi include:
- Congenital malformations
- Preterm birth and low birth weight
- Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS)
High infant mortality rates are a sign of broader problems in maternal health, healthcare access, and systemic inequalities.
Mississippi’s Infant Mortality Rate vs. the National Average
- Mississippi (2024): 9.7 deaths per 1,000 live births (Source: MSDH)
- U.S. Average (2022, CDC): 5.6 deaths per 1,000 live births (Source: CDC)
Mississippi’s rate is nearly double the national average. Across the U.S., black infants are more than twice as likely to die as white infants, a disparity that has persisted for decades.
What Mississippi Is Doing to Address Infant Mortality
The MSDH outlined a multi-pronged strategy to address this crisis, including:
- Improving maternal care through a regional Obstetrics System of Care
- Expanding prenatal access in underserved “OB deserts”
- Community health worker programs to connect families with care
- Expanding home visiting services for at-risk mothers and babies and enhancing care management to support healthy mothers and promote strong infant development.
- Educating families on safe sleep practices to prevent avoidable infant deaths
- Addressing gaps in maternal healthcare with hospitals and medical providers
Edney underscored that meaningful improvements in maternal health are vital to preventing such tragedies. He emphasized, “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.”
Why This Matters for Families
At Levin & Perconti, we know these numbers are not just statistics. They represent families grieving preventable losses. Many of the infant death cases we see involve failures in medical care: delayed interventions, missed warning signs, or hospitals that lacked proper resources.
These numbers are not just data points; they represent lives cut short and families forever changed. Far too often, we see cases in which adequate medical attention, earlier interventions, or safer hospital practices could have made the difference. As advocates, our work is about more than seeking accountability, it's about pushing for a healthcare system where every baby has a chance to thrive.
Levin & Perconti Case Results: Infant Wrongful Death and Birth Injury
At Levin & Perconti, we have represented many families in birth injury and infant death cases, helping them seek justice after preventable medical errors. Some of our notable results include:
- $7.5 million settlement on behalf of a 20-month-old baby girl who was born prematurely and suffered brain death due to paramedics’ failure to provide proper treatment and transfer, as well as an improper intubation at a Northern Illinois hospital.
- $4 million settlement for the family of an infant who died after hospital staff failed to timely identify and treat dangerously high blood pressure and the signs of placental abruption.
- $4 million settlement for the death of an infant after a medical team failed to recognize and respond to concerning fetal heart rate strips, leading to terminal bradycardia.
Other Levin & Perconti birth injury results include:
- $40 Million record-breaking birth injury verdict on behalf of a 19-year-old disabled teen. At the time of the verdict, it was the highest reported medical malpractice verdict in Illinois outside of Cook County. It remains the highest verdict in Coles County history.
- $29 Million settlement on behalf of a child who suffered brain damage and other injuries after a delayed cesarian section at the University of Illinois at Chicago Medical Center.
- $20 Million jury verdict for a child who suffered a catastrophic hypoxic-ischemic brain injury due to, among other things, mismanagement of abnormal fetal heart rate tracings during labor and delivery.
- $18 Million birth injury settlement on behalf of a young girl who suffered hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) and was later diagnosed with cerebral palsy.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the leading cause of infant mortality?
Nationally, the leading causes are birth defects, preterm birth, low birth weight, SIDS, and maternal pregnancy complications.
Why is Mississippi’s infant mortality rate so high?
Experts point to limited access to prenatal care, higher rates of preterm birth, and racial disparities in maternal health outcomes.
How does the U.S. compare globally?
The U.S. infant mortality rate (5.6 per 1,000 live births; a 3% increase from 2021) is higher than many developed nations, including Canada, Germany, and Japan.
Levin & Perconti: Advocating for Families
The rise in infant mortality highlights the urgent need for stronger maternal and infant healthcare systems. It also underscores why legal accountability matters when medical negligence contributes to these tragedies.
At Levin & Perconti, we fight for families who have lost a child due to preventable medical errors. Our attorneys work to hold negligent providers accountable and to push for safer healthcare practices nationwide.
If your family has experienced the unimaginable loss of a child due to substandard medical care, our team is here to listen and to fight for justice.
Call us at 312-332-2872 or fill out our contact form for a free, confidential consultation.
