Infant mortality in Louisiana--identifying the risks.

The state of Louisiana consistently has one of the five highest infant mortality rates in the nation and the racial disparity within the state is glaring. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the state's linked birth and death infant data set for the birth cohort of 1990-1998, and to identify the "at risk" population. We have analyzed data from the 1990 to 1998 birth and infant death cohort in Louisiana to determine mothers' characteristics that are associated with infant death. These include extremely young and old ages, unmarried marital status, lower levels of education, and prenatal care. A mother's race is also associated with higher future mortality for her infant, with black mothers and their infants being at greater risk than white ones. Because the infant mortality rate is higher for black infants than for white ones, Louisiana's higher infant mortality rate can be seen as a result of the higher proportion of black births. Main concerns in reducing infant mortality rates include reducing incidence of low birth weights specifically among black births primarily by providing adequate prenatal care.