Rising Infant Mortality Rates Prompt Mississippi to Declare Emergency

“Too many Mississippi families are losing their babies before their first birthday,” said State Health Officer Dr. Dan Edney. “Every single infant loss represents a family devastated, a community impacted and a future cut short. We cannot and will not accept these numbers as our reality.”

With those words, the Mississippi State Department of Health (MSDH) declared a public health emergency over the state’s rising infant mortality rate. Newly released 2024 data shows Mississippi recorded 9.7 deaths per 1,000 live births—its highest rate in more than a decade and far above the national average. Since 2014, more than 3,500 Mississippi babies have died before reaching their first birthday.

Doctors point to several leading causes of these deaths, including congenital conditions, preterm birth, low birth weight and Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). Many of these are influenced by maternal health and access to consistent care during and after pregnancy. “Improving maternal health is the best way to reduce infant mortality,” Edney said. “That means better access to prenatal and postpartum care, stronger community support and more resources for moms and babies.”

In response, MSDH is launching a multi-layered strategy aimed at closing critical care gaps and supporting families. Key initiatives include:

• Activating an OB System of Care to standardize and regionalize maternal and infant care, while improving emergency transfer systems.
• Expanding prenatal care access by targeting underserved counties and eliminating “OB deserts.”
• Growing community health worker programs to connect mothers and babies to care and resources where they live.
• Strengthening the Healthy Moms, Healthy Babies program, which provides care management and home visits for expectant and new moms at risk.
• Partnering with hospitals and providers to encourage early prenatal visits and address gaps in care.
• Educating families on safe sleep practices to reduce preventable infant deaths.

While the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will release updated national data later this year, Mississippi health officials stressed they could not wait to act. Declaring a state emergency allows MSDH to mobilize resources more quickly and coordinate across healthcare systems, communities, and families.

“This is deeply personal to me—not just as a physician, but as a father and grandfather,” Edney said. “Declaring this a public health emergency is more than a policy decision; it is an urgent commitment to save lives. Mississippi has the knowledge, the resources and the resilience to change this story. It will take all of us — policymakers, healthcare providers, communities and families — working together to give every child the chance to live, thrive and celebrate their first birthday.”