The rate of stillbirths in the United States has surpassed the rate of infant deaths, a new report from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has revealed.
Death among infants have been tracking on a downward trend since 2006, according to the New York Times. In 2012, there were 24,073 infant deaths on record, while the number dwindled to 23,595 in 2013. Stillbirths, however, have remained at the rate of 5.9 per 1000 births in recent years.
"The number of fetal deaths [stillbirths] is now slightly higher than the number of infant deaths," said Elizabeth Gregory of the CDC's National Center for Health Statistics and one of the co-authors of the study, according to Health Day.
Although the number may be minimal, experts noted that it is alarming for certain demographics, such as among pregnant teenagers, or women over the age of 35, or for pregnancies with multiple fetuses.
In the cases involving teenagers, Gregory and her team said factors like biological immaturity and socio-economic status may have contributed to the numbers.
Race may also be a factor, as fetal death rate among black women was twice the rate of fetal deaths among whites, Asian or Pacific Islanders, the researchers said. Fetal death among American Indians and native Alaskans, meanwhile, was also higher at 27 percent. Experts hint that the disparity has to do with these women's access to medical care more than anything else.
"The fact that blacks and other minorities have the highest rate is concerning, because research shows that these are not genetic differences but differences in access to care," said Chief Medical Officer Dr. Edward McCabe from March of Dimes, via the Health Day report. "This is something we as a society need to address."
Meanwhile, Robert L. Goldenberg, an obstetrics professor at Columbia University agreed that there is "little progress in reducing stillbirth in the U.S.," according to New York Times. He also cited that it's possible that many fetal deaths are not reported, thus hindering efforts to lower stillbirth rates. Reporting would've helped "push the medical establishment and public health officials in that area to do something," he added.
