Infant mortality, defined as the death of a baby after birth up to one year of age, is a national indicator of population-level health. The United States has an average infant mortality rate (IMR) of 6 deaths per 1,000 live births, a rate that is more than 70% higher than other comparable, high-resource nations. Within the last decade, Alabama’s IMR has consistently been one of the top three highest in the nation, with rates that are far worse among Black infants—in 2019, the infant mortality rate in Alabama was over two times higher for Black infants than that of White infants.
This study will examine the state's pilot program to reduce infant mortality, specifically asking how the Alabama pilot program affects infant mortality among the Black community. This research will provide valuable evidence to the Office of the Governor, state agencies, state legislative members, the Alabama Hospital Association, the Alabama Primary Health Care Association, and the Alabama Congressional Delegation as they evaluate the efficacy of the pilot program, and has the potential to impact Alabama's infant mortality reduction policy moving forward.