Black infant mortality in West Virginia
11.80
per 1,000 live births
Black infants in West Virginia die before age one at 11.8 per 1,000 live births — compared to the US all-race rate of 5.4.
US national average: 5.40 per 1,000 live births
Historical trend
What this means for Black residents
That figure runs materially above the US national average of 5.4 per 1,000 live births.
The Black infant mortality rate has been consistently more than twice the white rate in the United States for every decade since the data has been collected. In West Virginia, the two largest drivers are preterm birth (which runs ~50% higher in Black pregnancies) and sudden unexpected infant death. State-level interventions that have shown measurable benefit include group prenatal care (Centering Pregnancy), home-visiting programs for first-time Black mothers, and safe-sleep campaigns delivered through the WIC enrollment channel. See the CDC Linked Birth / Infant Death records for year-by-year detail.
The figures on this page are drawn from CDC WONDER Linked Birth / Infant Death, which is the canonical public dataset for this indicator. See the References section below for supporting citations from MMWR, NEJM, and JAMA where the underlying drivers have been studied.
Policy actions
Policy levers at the state level for this indicator include Medicaid coverage scope, provider workforce investments, and data transparency mandates. The state's health department publishes the specific programs currently funded via its annual state health plan.
Where to get help in your state
- Black pediatricians in West Virginia: Black Health provider directory
- WIC (special supplemental nutrition program): Apply through USDA
- Safe Sleep education (NICHD): safetosleep.nichd.nih.gov
- Reach Up & Learn home visitor programs: Contact your state Maternal Child Health office (listed on your state health department site)
References & primary sources
- Primary dataset: CDC WONDER Linked Birth / Infant Death
- Matthews TJ et al. Infant Mortality Statistics. NVSR. CDC/NCHS. Annual.
- Wallace M et al. Joint effects of structural racism and income inequality on small-for-gestational-age birth. Am J Public Health. 2015.
Data refreshed: