KDHE Home - News 2000 - News Release

Kansas
Department of Health & Environment
Bill Graves, Governor
Clyde D. Graeber, Secretary

December 15, 2000

Contact: Sharon Watson, 785-296-5795

Return of Infant Mortality Rate to Historical Levels Noted with Concern

The Kansas infant mortality rate, the ratio of infant deaths to live births, edged up to 7.3 infant deaths per 1,000 births according to the 1999 Kansas Annual Summary of Vital Statistics published by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment.

"We recorded 281 resident infant deaths during a year in which 38,748 resident live births occurred," reported State Registrar Dr. Lorne Phillips, who heads KDHE's Center for Health and Environmental Statistics. "The rate change (0.4) from 6.9 in 1998 to 7.3 in 1999 represents a 5.8 percent increase and is cause for concern."

Dr. Phillips also noted the 1999 infant mortality rate for black residents of Kansas was 14.8 per 1,000 births, over twice as high as the white infant mortality rate of 6.7. The 1998 black infant mortality rate was 9.7.

"The return to the historical level of black infant mortality is disappointing. Public health agencies continue to work hard to address this disparity," said Dr. Phillips.

Of all infant deaths in 1999, 43.8 percent were attributed to conditions originating in the perinatal period, 22.4 percent were attributed to congenital anomalies, 15.7 percent to sudden infant death syndrome and 18.1 percent to all other causes.

During 1999, 24,380 resident deaths occurred, 20,905 marriages were performed, and 9,926 marriages were dissolved (divorce or annulment).

The number of Kansas resident deaths represented a 1.9 percent increase from the 1998 total of 23,928. The Kansas crude death rate was 9.2 deaths per 1,000 population. The state's age-adjusted mortality rate, which corrects for differences in the age makeup of Kansas residents and is based on the 2000 population standard, was 8.5 deaths per 1,000 population.

The average age at death of Kansas residents in 1999 was 74.3 years. The figure is 1.9 percent higher than the average age at death of 72.9 years in 1989. The average age at death for males was 70.4 years, for females 77.9. The average age at death for blacks was 63.3 years compared to 75.0 for whites.

A long downward trend in Kansas marriages reversed in 1999. The number of marriages performed in 1999 was 20,905, a 2.5 percent increase over the 20,403 marriages performed in 1998.

Marriage dissolutions continued a decline that began in the early 1990s. The 9,926 divorces and annulments represented a 4.4 percent decrease compared to the 1998 figure of 10,363 dissolutions.

The Center for Health and Environmental Statistics prepares the 155 page Kansas Annual Summary of Vital Statistics as part of KDHE's fundamental responsibility for assessing the health of Kansas residents. The data compiled are used by program managers and policy makers at state and local levels to address health concerns.

The 1999 Annual Summary is available in an HTML format at the KDHE Web site, http://www.kdheks.gov/hci/ Requests for single, printed copies of the Annual Summary of Vital Statistics should be made to the KDHE Office of Health Care Information at 785-296-8627.