Infant mortality falls in N.C.; constant here

North Carolina's infant mortality rate continued its long-term downward trend last year, with the rate edging down from 8.5 to 8.2 (infant deaths per 1,000 live births).

The state had 957 infant deaths in 2002 versus 117,307 live births, according to data from the N.C. State Center for Health Statistics (SCHS). That compares to 1,005 infant deaths and 118,112 birhs in 2001. For Alleghany, the number of infant deaths was the same — one — each of the last two years. With the number of live births dropping from 104 in 2001 to 100 in 2002, the mortality rate rose from 9.6 to 10.0.

(The statistics refer to children born to Alleghany residents, not necessarily to births which took place in the county).

Such rates among a small community are more subject to year-to-year fluctuations than in a larger population. As the SCHS report states, rates based on less than 10 deaths are unstable and should be interpreted with caution.

The statewide rate represents another new all-time low. The rate was 10.6 in 1993, 13.2 in 1983 and 21.7 in 1973.

The infant mortality rate among whites dropped from 6.1 to 5.9 last year, and from 14.8 to 14.2 for other races.

Both infant deaths the last two years in Alleghany were white. The county recorded 97 live births among whites in 2002 and three among other races.

The SCHS report also includes five-year rates. Alleghany had four infant deaths between 1998 and 2002, for a rate of 7.4 The state's rate for that five-year period was 8.7.

For the previous five-year period, 1993-97, Alleghany's rate was 0 — no infant deaths — while the state's rate was 9.6.

Ashe County's rate for 2002 was 13.7; its rate for 1998-2002 was 12.5. In Surry County, the infant mortality rate for last year was 4.3, with a five-year rate of 6.8.

Wilkes County had a 2002 rate of 8.0 and a five-year rate of 6.9 "With a small population, you have to look at it over a period of time, and even then you have make population adjustments," said Danny Staley, director of the Appalachian District Health Department, which comprises Alleghany, Ashe and Watauga counties.

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