STORY AT-A-GLANCE
More infants are dying in the U.S. than in the last two decades, according to data from the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS)
The U.S. provisional infant mortality rate rose 3% from 2021 to 2022 — the first increase since 2001 to 2002
Infant mortality in the U.S. rose from 5.44 per 1,000 live births in 2021 to 5.6 in 2022, representing 20,538 deaths in infants under 12 months in 2022
Other research found the 2020 infant mortality rate in the U.S, — 5.4 deaths per 1,000 live births — was the highest of all the countries analyzed; Norway had just 1.6 deaths per 1,000 live births, for comparison
In the U.S., life expectancy is three to five years lower than that in other high-income countries, despite higher health care spending. Adopting a holistic approach to health can help you maintain wellness at all life stages