Author: HRSA
Date Published: 2006
In the late 1980’s, national concerns about persistently high levels of infant mortality led to a number of efforts to address this problem. Although infant mortality rates had declined over time, the rate of decline had slowed by the mid- 1980’s, and relative to other developed nations, the United States’ ranking had slipped. Even more alarming was the racial disparity in infant mortality rates; Black infants in the 1980’s were more than twice as likely to die in their first year of life as White infants. A White House study recommended the development of a major initiative to mobilize and coordinate the resources available in selected communities and demonstrate effective approaches to reduce infant mortality.