Infant death rate

The infant mortality rate is the number of deaths of infants under a year of age per one thousand live births during a calendar year. This rate is a useful indicator of the general level of health in a community. A high rate has been taken to indicate unfavorable external factors (poor water quality, inadequate food supply, inadequate education, substandard medical care), especially in developing countries. Infant mortality rates have significantly declined in developed countries, mainly due to improvements in basic health care.