0
0
In a recent study, researchers from Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) and Children’s Hospital of Richmond at VCU revealed a concerning trend in infant mortality. Between 1999 and 2022, the overall infant mortality rate in the United States decreased by 24.2%. However, the study also found a troubling increase in Sudden Unexpected Infant Deaths (SUID), which rose by 11.8% from 2020 to 2022.
Published on January 27 in JAMA Pediatrics, the study highlights a significant shift in the trends surrounding infant death. Dr. Elizabeth Wolf, lead author and associate professor in the VCU School of Medicine’s Department of Pediatrics, explained, “Although previous CDC data, which focused on data up until 2020, indicated that SUID was rising among Black infants, our study found that this trend has expanded to all racial and ethnic groups.”
In addition to Dr. Wolf, other researchers contributing to the study include Dr. Steven Woolf, director emeritus of the VCU Center on Society and Health, Dr. Anabeel Sen, a professor in VCU’s School of Public Health, and Dr. Frederick Rivara from the University of Washington’s Department of Pediatrics and Seattle Children’s Research Institute.
Rising SUID Rates: Possible Causes
While the decline in overall infant mortality can be attributed to improvements in prenatal care, obstetric management, and neonatal treatment, the rise in SUID is more difficult to explain. The researchers identified several potential contributing factors to the increase in SUID cases, including the rise of COVID-19 and other respiratory viruses, parental opioid use, and the growing influence of social media on infant care practices.
Dr. Wolf pointed out that social media trends often depict unsafe sleep practices, such as placing infants on their stomachs or in unsafe environments like adult beds, couches, or baby swings. “These practices can put infants at higher risk for SUID,” she noted.
Disparities in SUID Rates
The study also underscored troubling racial and ethnic disparities in infant death rates. While SUID rates increased across all groups, Black infants experienced the highest mortality rates, with their SUID rate being 10 times higher than that of Asian infants and three times higher than that of white infants. The researchers suggest these disparities could be linked to factors such as unsafe sleep practices, prematurity, tobacco exposure, and infant feeding practices.
Moving Forward: Addressing the Crisis
Dr. Wolf emphasized the importance of safe sleep education during pediatric visits to help families understand the risks and precautions needed to protect their infants. She also called for stronger public health messaging on safe sleep and more stringent regulations regarding misleading or unsafe infant products.
“Although not all cases of SUID are preventable, there are steps that can reduce the risk,” Dr. Wolf said. These steps include promoting breastfeeding, providing lactation support, expanding access to paid parental leave, improving health insurance access, and offering doula support for mothers before and after birth. Dr. Wolf also stressed the importance of ensuring that infants receive all recommended vaccinations on time to prevent serious infections that could lead to infant death.
The findings of this study point to the urgent need for continued efforts to address both the declining but still persistent mortality rate from SUID, as well as the growing disparities in infant death rates across different racial and ethnic groups.
For further details, refer to the original study published in JAMA Pediatrics (2025). DOI: 10.1001/jamapediatrics.2024.6200.
Disclaimer: The information provided in this article is based on the findings from a study published in JAMA Pediatrics on January 27, 2025. The views expressed in the article are those of the study’s authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the publication or other associated institutions.
