TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) Kansas is reporting that its infant mortality rate decreased in 2015 to the state’s lowest annual figure ever.
The state Department of Health and Environment said Wednesday that there were 230 infant deaths last year for a mortality rate of 5.9 for every 1,000 live births.
The figure was 6.3 deaths for every 1,000 live births in 2014, when 246 infant deaths were reported. The department also said the figure last year was 28 percent lower than it was in 1996.
The state’s rate also is slightly below the national figure of 6 deaths for every 1,000 live births.
KDHE Secretary Susan Mosier attributed the decline to ongoing work by more than 20 organizations to research and raise awareness about infant mortality.
