Data and Statistics

"Infant mortality" refers to the death of a baby before their first birthday. In 2021 in Tennessee, 505 babies died before turning one. That's the equivalent of nearly 26 kindergarten classrooms!

The "infant mortality rate" is the number of infant deaths per 1,000 live births.  The infant mortality rate in Tennessee (shown in blue) is still higher than the national infant mortality rate (shown in red). 

Even though the overall infant mortality rate and number of infant deaths has declined over the past few years, sleep-related deaths consistently account for approximately 1 in 4 infant fatalities. In 2021 there 139 infant sleep-related deaths.  That means that about 25% of all infant deaths were due to sleep-related causes. 

Some people may think that these sleep-related deaths only occur when parents are obese, or when parents are under the influence of alcohol or drugs. Data from Tennessee's Child Fatality Review process shows otherwise. The main contributors to sleep-related deaths in Tennessee are:  Unsafe bedding or toys in the sleeping area (86% of deaths), Infant not sleeping in a crib or bassinette (69% of deaths), infant sleeping with other people (58% of deaths), and infant not sleeping on back (56%). These data show why it is important to follow the ABC's of safe sleep—babies should sleep Alone, on their Back, and in a Crib.