Mexico's infant death rate remained largely unchanged over the decade from 2014 to 2023, according to a study co-led by Genny Carrillo, MD, of the Texas A&M University School of Public Health. The research analyzed national data and found that improvements in saving infants' lives have stalled, even as records show that nearly all babies had a medical professional present when they died.
Carrillo worked with colleagues from a Mexican hospital, university, and national government agency to investigate causes of infant deaths, their locations, and families’ access to medical care. “A child's survival during the critical first year is a structural issue as well as a medical issue—it’s a direct reflection of how a healthcare system treats mothers and newborns,” Carrillo said. “We found that Mexico's disorganized and disconnected healthcare system from 2014 to 2023 made improvements difficult.”
The study revealed that while overall infant death rates were higher in rural areas, some urban neighborhoods—described as 'medical deserts'—had rates just as high or higher than rural regions. Carrillo said these are poor or crowded neighborhoods lacking real access to care despite the presence of large hospitals elsewhere in the city. “These neighborhood-level issues are not apparent when looking only at national averages or hospital counts,” she said.
Researchers examined data on 224,212 deaths of infants under one year old recorded in Mexico’s national database. They compared annual infant deaths against live births for each year and reviewed death certificates for causes of death. The team also considered demographic factors such as city of residence and social security insurance coverage through IMSS—the country’s main public health insurance provider known for crowded facilities and long wait times.
Carrillo noted that having a healthcare worker present at an infant’s time of death does not guarantee timely or high-quality care: “In some cases, the infant might be declared dead shortly after arrival.” The analysis showed no seasonal variation in mortality rates; instead, structural problems like poverty and broken healthcare systems were identified as primary contributors.
The researchers suggested following examples set by countries in South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa by improving continuity of care starting with early pregnancy checkups through safe delivery and newborn support. Their findings were published in Sage Open Pediatrics with support from IMSS-BIENESTAR.
