Overview
- Provisional data released by the Indiana Department of Health in May 2026 show the 2025 infant mortality rate at 6.3 deaths per 1,000 live births with 500 infant deaths, down from 509 in 2024.
- State Health Commissioner Lindsay Weaver said the decline equals a record low since state record-keeping began in 1900 and that nine fewer infants died compared with the prior year.
- The department credited early-intervention work such as hospital data reviews, comprehensive infant-death reviews, and partnerships with community and birthing facilities for contributing to the decline.
- Officials warned common maternal and social risk factors — delayed prenatal care, maternal obesity, substance use, smoking during pregnancy and high maternal stress — still drive many infant deaths.
- Indiana’s rate remains above the U.S. average, so the health department is expanding programs such as breastfeeding support, home visiting and safe-sleep education while analyzing causes to guide further prevention.