Trends in infant mortality attributable to birth defects--United States, 1980-1995.

Infant mortality has declined in the United States because of advances in public health and clinical medicine. Birth defects are the leading cause of infant mortality, but infant mortality attributable to birth defects (IMBD) has not declined as rapidly as overall infant mortality. From 1968 to 1995, the proportion of IMBD increased from 14.5% to 22.2%. To help focus efforts to reduce IMBD, CDC examined trends in IMBD, highlighting demographic, geographic, and defect-specific mortality rates. This report summarizes the results of this analysis, which indicate variation in rates for IMBD by sex, race/ethnicity, and state of residence.