this post was submitted on 13 Jul 2025
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Child mortality in US is about 2 times higher than OECD average (jamanetwork.com)
submitted 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) by Tychoxii@hexbear.net to c/science@hexbear.net
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For infants (<1 year old)

Between 2007 to 2022, infants were 1.78 (95% CI, 1.78-1.79) times more likely to die in the US than in the OECD18.

The 2 causes of death with the largest net difference between the US and OECD18 were prematurity (RR, 2.22 [95% CI, 2.20-2.24]) and sudden unexpected infant death (RR, 2.39 [95% CI, 2.35-2.43]).

For kids aged 1 to 19 years old

Between 2007 to 2022, 1- to 19-year olds were 1.80 (95% CI, 1.80-1.80) times more likely to die in the US than in the OECD18.

The 2 causes of death with the largest net difference between the US and OECD18 were firearm-related incidents (RR, 15.34 [95% CI, 14.89-15.80]) and motor vehicle crashes (RR, 2.45 [95% CI, 2.42-2.48]).

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[–] CarbonScored@hexbear.net 19 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (1 children)

The second I read the title I just knew "guns and cars".

Prematurity and SIDS are weird though, I could come up with many speculative theories. Do we have evidentially backed explanations as to why the US is so much worse in these regards?

[–] Assian_Candor@hexbear.net 18 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (3 children)

Lack of access to healthcare / nutrition

If you broke these stats out by racial group I am sure the numbers would be shocking. There's probably parts of the south where black infant mortality rivals Syria or something

Edit:

Low birth weight is the biggest driver and suggests nutrition, maternal complications tie to lack of healthcare, congenital malformations suggest environmental racism is also a factor at play here

Edit2: looking around a bit I wasn't too far off, the worst published counties in Alabama and Mississippi are at 15-16 which is just a hair shy of Syria's 16.5

And those are the published stats, I am sure the worst counties don't publish bc they don't even have the infrastructure for collecting

[–] Assian_Candor@hexbear.net 8 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

And if you're curious where the white rate of 4.5 sits....

Right behind Cuba

[–] jack@hexbear.net 2 points 1 week ago (1 children)

death to america