US infant mortality rate rose last year, CDC says it's the largest increase in two decades

The infant mortality rate in the US increased by 3% last year, marking the largest increase in two decades, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The rise in the death rate was significant for white and Native American infants, infant boys, and babies born at 37 weeks or earlier. The leading causes of infant deaths, maternal complications, and bacterial meningitis, also saw larger increases. The US infant mortality rate has historically been worse than other high-income countries.