Updated: February 2024

Author: Family and Child Health, Vermont Department of Health

This indicator, or population measure, is part of our Healthy Vermonters 2030 data set. Read more about how this data helps us understand and improve the well-being of people in Vermont on the Healthy Vermonters 2030 webpage.

Because this data is meant to show how the health of our state changes during the decade from 2020-2030, some indicators may have very few data points for now. Keep checking back to see the progress our public health system and partners are making.

By 2030 we want to see this indicator maintain the baseline of 3.5 infant deaths (or fewer) per 1,000 live births. Because there are a small number of infant deaths in Vermont each year, the fluctuations that we see in the short time between 2020 and 2022 are not significant enough to know if we are trending in a specific direction yet.

Looking for more data?

• See the related national Healthy People 2030 objective for reducing the infant death rate.

Reducing the rate of infant deaths is a Healthy People 2030 Leading Health Indicator. It is a high priority objective to drive action toward improving overall health and well-being.

Reducing infant deaths is a common goal for the Health Department and other agencies in Vermont. Working together, state groups, health providers, and community organizations aim to keep babies safe and healthy during their first year. During the last decade, Vermont often met the previous Healthy People 2020 goal of 3.5 per 1,000 live births. Several strategies helped us reach this goal, including increasing breast- and chest-feeding rates, promoting vaccinations, teaching safe sleep practices, and providing car seat safety programs.

Vermont’s Child Fatality Review Team is a group required by law (Vermont Statute 18 V.S.A. § 1561) that looks into all cases of Sudden Unexpected Infant Death. The team’s job is to review and analyze the deaths of children in Vermont to find out if they were unexpected, unexplained, or preventable. They look for problems and risk factors in the system and suggest new laws, rules, policies, practices, training, and ways for agencies to work together to prevent future deaths. By studying all Sudden Unexpected Infant Deaths, the team can recommend ways to reduce infant deaths related to unsafe sleep.

In the United States, thousands of babies die from causes like preterm birth, low birth weight, and sudden unexpected infant death syndrome (SUID). While the overall rate of infant deaths has gone down, there are still differences in infant death rates for different groups of people in Vermont and the United States. The U.S. has a higher infant mortality rate than other wealthy countries because of these differences, which vary by race, ethnicity, income, and location. In Vermont, data shows that families with lower incomes have higher rates of unsafe sleep practices. Safe sleep practices are an important way to reduce the risk of SUIDs.

The Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS) survey reports that families with Medicaid insurance are less likely to put their babies to sleep on a separate, safe surface. Addressing social factors that affect health is important to reduce these differences. Parents and babies need equitable access to good healthcare and community support to lower infant death rates for all groups. Data from the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) shows that families in WIC have lower rates of unsafe sleep practices, like using soft bedding. We must focus on helping families at higher risk to prevent sleep-related infant deaths.

The Division of Family and Child Health and the Division of Health Statistics and Informatics in the Vermont Department of Health are working on evidence-based strategies to reduce infant deaths. Vermont is focused on lowering rates of Sudden Unexpected Infant Death (SUID). The SUID Case Registry Grant is a key strategy that uses data to monitor and prevent SUID in Vermont. This program aims to quickly identify cases, ensure high-quality data collection, and review cases according to national standards. By working in concert with Vermont's public health strategies, this grant helps with tracking and analyzing maternal and child health (including understanding how outcomes differ for different demographic groups), improving healthcare systems, and developing better policies. Working to reduce infant deaths in this way allows Vermont to address prevention from multiple angles, promoting accurate and detailed case data for strong analysis and effective intervention strategies.

The Vermont Vital Statistics System is the data source for this indicator.  There are a small number of infant deaths in Vermont each year, limiting the ability to analyze the data by substate geographies and demographics.