Infant mortality is a key measure of a population’s health and well-being. While South Dakota saw dramatic improvements from the 1960s to the 1990s, progress has stalled in recent years. The state’s rates remain consistently higher than the national average, with preventable factors such as congenital malformations, unsafe sleep conditions, and maternal health risks contributing to deaths.
To address this challenge, South Dakota has strengthened its Infant and Child Death Review (ICDR) process, which plays a vital role in identifying risk factors and informing prevention strategies.
What We’ve Learned from 10 Years of Infant Mortality Data (2014-2023)
- South Dakota’s infant mortality rate has remained stable over the past decade despite national declines.
- Congenital malformations have remained the leading cause of infant mortality (~25% of deaths).
- Sudden Unexpected Infant Deaths (SUID) account for nearly 1 in 5 infant deaths, with unsafe sleep conditions as a major contributing factor.
- A growing percentage of sleep-related infant deaths occur in adult beds, increasing from 47% (2014–2018) to 63% (2019–2023).
- Maternal smoking, substance use disorder, and maternal health conditions continue to be significant risk factors.
For an overview of recent trends, please see the South Dakota Infant Mortality Analysis – 2024 (Provisional Data).
For more information regarding infant mortality in South Dakota, please see the South Dakota Infant Mortality Dashboard below.
If you have any questions about the dashboard, please reach out to the MCH data team at DOH.MCHdata@state.sd.us
Infant Mortality Reports
South Dakota Infant Mortality Analysis – 2024 (Provisional Data)
This report analyzes provisional 2024 infant mortality data in South Dakota, comparing it with trends and causes of death from the past decade (2014–2023). The 2024 data highlight a concerning stability in infant mortality rates: the curve has remained unchanged over the past 11 years. Moreover, preventable causes like congenital malformations, unsafe sleep environments, and modifiable risk factors (such as maternal smoking) continue to present opportunities for meaningful intervention.
Pregnancy-Associated and Infant Deaths in South Dakota, 2015-2024
The following report describes the characteristics of mothers who died during pregnancy or within one year of the end of pregnancy, as well as infants who died before their first birthday, in South Dakota from 2015–2024. Throughout this report, we refer to these losses as pregnancy-associated deaths and infant deaths. There were 787 infant deaths during those 10 years, and 75 pregnancy-associated deaths.