Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services
The Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) recently released the Nebraska Vital Statistics Infant Mortality Dashboard. Vital statistics data are fundamental to public health assessment and planning processes correlating with the overall health of the population. Infant mortality refers to the death of a baby under one year of age. This dashboard includes de-identified aggregate infant mortality data between the years 2005-2023 for Nebraska resident infant deaths. Infant deaths that occurred within Nebraska to non-Nebraska residents are not included in the data.
“Infant mortality data is a vital resource for improving the immediate and long-term health of our population. By identifying trends and guiding targeted prevention and education efforts, this data supports efforts to identify and address the needs of our most vulnerable populations,” said Charity Menefee, Director of the Division of Public Health. “This dashboard aims to inform and empower stakeholders and the public as we work together to save lives and give every infant in Nebraska the best chance at a healthy start in life.”
The dashboard allows results to be filtered by geographic (state, local health department, and urban/rural) and demographic (age, gender, and race/ethnicity) characteristics. Users can combine multiple years of data, examine trends over time, and explore data in charts, tables, and maps.
To protect the privacy and security of the data presented within the dashboard, the number of cases or records are suppressed using the following rules: (1) when the count is 1-5, or (2) if only one category is suppressed the next lowest category is also suppressed in instances where the count could be identified through subtraction.
DHHS makes best efforts to ensure the accuracy of all data collected, stored, analyzed, and reported from its databases. The accuracy and completeness of these records depend on the reporting parties. Final data files are generated annually for statistical reporting and used to populate this dashboard. By using this dashboard, users acknowledge the above limitations, and that the data are subject to continuous updating.
Learn more by visiting the dashboard at https://dhhs.ne.gov/InfantMortality.
For additional information about Nebraska Vital Records, visit https://dhhs.ne.gov/VitalRecords or call 402-471-2871.