Infant mortality data highlights sleep safety and hospital infection risks

Health officials in Chicago and Mexico have released data regarding infant mortality risks. In Chicago, the Chicago Department of Public Health (CDPH) reported that 128 infants died from sleep-related causes in 2024. Asphyxiation was the second leading cause of child death in the city during this period. Data shows that in 92 of these cases, infants were found sleeping in an adult bed. The report noted significant disparities, with the mortality rate for African American infants being 10 times higher than for non-African American infants.

In Mexico, records from the federal Ministry of Health indicate that at least 4,000 infants under one year old died in public health system hospitals between 2015 and 2025 in cases where hospital-acquired infections were documented. While the data does not confirm if these infections were the direct cause of death, they were present in cases involving prematurity, low birth weight, and respiratory difficulties. Bacterial sepsis in newborns was a prominent factor, accounting for 702 deaths, with 80 percent of those occurring within the first seven days of life.