Fewer infants die before they turn 1 in Mecklenburg, but there are disparities

The number of infants dying before their first birthday is on the decline in Mecklenburg County, but a recent report shows there is still room to address disparities across the region.

Last week, Mecklenburg County released the 2025 Infant Mortality Report. The 33-page report provides a numerical view of what factors impact infants before and after their birth.

While the data show overall birth outcomes improving — declining rates of prematurity, low birth weight, and infant mortality — disparities are still prevalent, particularly for Black women. Black babies are 3.5 times more likely to die before their first birthday compared to their white counterparts.

This disparity is driven by inadequate access to prenatal care, high hypertension rates and other social factors. The findings follow a national trend that shows Black and Latina mothers are more likely to experience infant mortality due to a myriad of factors.

This data is the first step toward meaningful change and solutions for pregnant women across Mecklenburg County, said Rosaria Trichilo, Mecklenburg’s assistant health director for maternal and child health, and Dr. Elisabeth Pordes, senior health program manager for the Prenatal to Five Initiative.

What does the data say?

From a broad lens, Mecklenburg County achieved some wins.

The infant mortality rate, the number of babies who die before their first birthday, decreased to 5 deaths per 1,000 births from 2021-2023, according to the report. The numbers have consistently fallen below North Carolina’s infant mortality rate for the past decade.

In 2023, Mecklenburg County also achieved its lowest preterm birth rate in five years at 9.8 per 1,000 births.

These achievements are linked to the longstanding work between the county, local providers and community partners, officials say.

“People are working, and have been working in this space to improve internal outcomes, and that is probably why we are seeing the improvements that we have. And so it’s important to not just innovate and add new things, but to sustain and grow,” Pordes said.

Through their partnerships, mothers across Mecklenburg County have access to home visiting programs, group prenatal care, breastfeeding education and more.

But there’s still room for improvement.

The data revealed Black babies have a higher likelihood to die than others and that mothers of color also face the brunt of unequal access to care and predisposition to certain medical conditions.

In 2023, one in five births were to a mother who received inadequate prenatal care, according to the report, with Hispanic and Black mothers facing the highest inequities.

Access to care is not a singular event, said Care Ring CEO Tchernaia Montgomery. It’s impacted by several factors.

“We know that incomplete care does not bode well for a healthy pregnancy. We also know that there are health issues that women are predisposed to like high blood pressure or hypertension that have a significant impact on the mother’s health and her ability to have a healthy pregnancy,” Montgomery said. “We also know that zip code can play a role. So if we’re talking about those social determinants of health, we know that where you live, where you work, where your family resides, that some of those concentrated areas of poverty and environmental factors also play a role in healthcare access.”

Data is the first step

There are resources available to pregnant women to close some of the maternal health gaps. Two of these programs are offered through Care Ring.

Care Ring is a nonprofit that provides health care to uninsured and low-income residents with a focus on maternal-child health. The organization offers a Nurse Family Partnership Program, which consists of weekly home visits from a nurse, and the Guided Journey Program, which focuses on the social determinants of health.

Last year between both programs, Care Ring served 1,200 families, and all babies were born at a healthy weight and at full-term.

But those programs run up against systemic challenges and the health conditions that disproportionately affect Black women, according to Montgomery.

“By making sure that we’re removing or helping to remove access to care, and also working to eliminate or dispel some of the stigmas that we know continue to influence our system,” Montgomery said.

In April, Care Ring will host its third annual maternal health conference that will connect families and nonprofits around the topic of addressing disparities. Speakers will include Congresswoman Alma Adams, who recently introduced the Momnibus Act, which aims to make sweeping changes to impact Black maternal health.

Pordes hopes the broader community understands that improving infant and maternal morbidity outcomes is everyone’s responsibility.

“The responsibility to help support individuals, babies and families is all of our responsibility. Maternal and infant outcomes are not just predicted based on the clinical situation or the clinical care. It’s truly a whole society effort to help moms, families and babies.

“The responsibility to help support individuals, babies and families is all of our responsibility,” she said. “Maternal and infant outcomes are not just predicted based on the clinical situation or the clinical care. It’s truly a whole society effort to help moms, families and babies.”

This story was originally published March 27, 2026 at 5:00 AM.