TABLE 1. Number,* percentage,† and rate§ of infant homicides (N = 2,851), by demographic characteristics — restricted-use National Vital Statistics System linked birth and infant death data, United States,¶ 2008–2017.
| Characteristic | No. (%) of homicides† | Rate§ (95% CI) | p-value |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Age of infant
| |||
| All aged <1 year** |
2,851 |
7.2 (6.9-7.4) |
N/A |
| First day of life |
81 (2.8) |
74.0 (58.8-92.0) |
N/A |
|
Sex of infant
| |||
| Male |
1,636 (57.4) |
8.0 (7.6-8.4) |
<0.001 |
| Female |
1,215 (42.6) |
6.2 (5.9-6.6) |
Referent |
|
Mother’s age group (yrs)
| |||
| <20 |
565 (19.8) |
18.7 (17.1-20.2) |
<0.001 |
| 20–29 |
1,860 (65.2) |
9.1 (8.7-9.5) |
<0.001 |
| ≥30 |
426 (14.9) |
2.6 (2.3-2.8) |
Referent |
|
Mother’s race/ethnicity
††
| |||
| White, non-Hispanic |
1,771 (62.1) |
5.9 (5.6-6.1) |
Referent |
| Black, non-Hispanic |
929 (32.6) |
14.4 (13.5-15.4) |
<0.001 |
| AI/AN, non-Hispanic |
68 (2.4) |
14.9 (11.6-18.9) |
<0.001 |
| Asian/Pacific Islander, non-Hispanic |
83 (2.9) |
3.1 (2.4-3.8) |
<0.001 |
|
Mother’s marital status
| |||
| Married |
705 (24.7) |
3.0 (2.8-3.2) |
Referent |
| Unmarried |
2,137 (75.0) |
13.4 (12.8-14.0) |
<0.001 |
| Unknown |
9 (0.3) |
— |
— |
|
Mother’s highest educational level
| |||
| Less than HS |
698 (24.5) |
12.2 (11.3-13.1) |
Referent |
| HS or GED certificate |
939 (32.9) |
10.8 (10.1-11.5) |
0.016 |
| Some college, no degree |
504 (17.7) |
7.1 (6.5-7.7) |
<0.001 |
| Associate or bachelors’ degree |
193 (6.8) |
2.1 (1.8-2.4) |
<0.001 |
| Graduate degree |
37 (1.3) |
1.0 (0.7-1.4) |
<0.001 |
| Unknown |
480 (16.8) |
— |
|
|
Infant’s place of birth
| |||
| Hospital |
2,730 (95.8) |
7.0 (6.7-7.2) |
Referent |
| Freestanding birth center |
5 (0.2) |
— |
— |
| Residence |
82 (2.9) |
23.7 (18.9-29.5) |
<0.001 |
| Other location |
20 (0.7) |
66.9 (40.9-103.3) |
<0.001 |
| Unknown | 14 (0.5) | — | — |
Abbreviations: AI/AN = American Indian/Alaska Native; CI = confidence interval; GED = General Education Development; HS = high school; N/A = not applicable.
* During 2008–2017, approximately 2,919 infants were victims of homicide (https://webappa.cdc.gov/sasweb/ncipc/mortrate.html). Because this study used restricted-use National Vital Statistics System linked birth and infant death data, 68 infant homicides were excluded because the corresponding birth and death certificates could not be linked.
† Percentages might not sum to 100% because of rounding.
§ Number of deaths per 100,000 person-years. Rates are not reported for subgroups in which the number of infant homicides is <20 or response is unknown.
¶ Infant homicides for Puerto Rico were not available for this analysis.
** Includes infants who died on first day of life.
†† Mother’s race/ethnicity is the best measure of race/ethnicity of the infant; thus, infant race/ethnicity is based on mother’s race/ethnicity as reported on the infant’s birth certificate.