Association Between Infant Mortality Attributable to Birth Defects and Payment Source for Delivery — United States, 2011–2013

• Published in: MMWR. Morbidity and mortality weekly report 2017-01, Vol.66 (3), p.84-87
• Main Authors: Almli, Lynn M., Alter, Caroline C., Russell, Rebecca B., Tinker, Sarah C., Howards, Penelope P., Cragan, Janet, Petersen, Emily, Carrino, Gerard E., Reefhuis, Jennita
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Congenital Abnormalities - ethnology; Congenital Abnormalities - mortality; Delivery, Obstetric - economics; Female; Full Report; Gestational Age; Humans; Infant; Infant Mortality - ethnology; Infant, Newborn; Insurance, Health - statistics & numerical data; Medicaid - statistics & numerical data; Pregnancy; Private Sector - statistics & numerical data; United States - epidemiology; Young Adult
• ISSN: 0149-2195; 1545-861X
• DOI: 10.15585/mmwr.mm6603a4

Birth defects are a leading cause of infant mortality in the United States (1), accounting for approximately 20% of infant deaths. The rate of infant mortality attributable to birth defects (IMBD) in the United States in 2014 was 11.9 per 10,000 live births (1). Rates of IMBD differ by race/ethnicity (2), age group at death (2), and gestational age at birth (3). Insurance type is associated with survival among infants with congenital heart defects (CHD) (4). In 2003, a checkbox indicating principal payment source for delivery was added to the U.S. standard birth certificate (5). To assess IMBD by payment source for delivery, CDC analyzed linked U.S. birth/infant death data for 2011-2013 from states that adopted the 2003 revision of the birth certificate. The results indicated that IMBD rates for preterm (