Effects of Reporting Methods on Infant Mortality Rate Estimates for Racial and Ethnic Subgroups

Estimation of infant mortality rates for racial and ethnic subgroups has been plagued by uncertainties. Yet policymakers need accurate estimates to allocate resources toward the goal of reducing infant mortality. The authors compared hospital discharge records and death certificate information to birth certificate information from the California Birth Cohort (years 1985-1987) and 1986 Annual Hospital Discharge Abstract. They found discrepancies in infant mortality rates between reporting methods and underreporting of some non-White groups. Infant mortality rates based on death certificates underestimated non-White mortality, particularly for Native Americans and East Asians. Compared to infants who died soon after birth, larger discrepancies in reported race and ethnicity between birth certificates and death certificates for infants who died later also indicated possible errors in hospital reporting methods. These findings extend prior research that documents that standard methods of reporting infant mortality underestimate non-White mortality rates.