- Definition
This is the number of babies who die before their first birthday, for every 1,000 babies born in a certain area.
If a town has 2,000 live births in a year and 10 infants die before their first birthday, the infant mortality rate is 5 per 1,000.
How to teach this in 30 seconds
Try this analogy: The infant mortality rate is like a scorecard for a community's health, showing how well it cares for its newest and most vulnerable members.
Ask your child: Why might this number be different in different places or at different times?
Common mix-up: Teens might see this as just a sad statistic. It's actually a powerful indicator of a community's overall health, reflecting things like access to healthcare, nutrition, and education.
Examples
- Comparing the infant mortality rate of two countries to understand differences in their healthcare systems.
- Studying how a community's infant mortality rate decreased after a new clinic opened.
infant mortality rate is a term used in Ontario’s Kindergarten to Grade 8 curriculum.
Where this shows up
The descriptions on this page are SmartStudy’s own original, plain-language writing — not the Ministry’s wording. They are aligned to the Ontario Curriculum, © King’s Printer for Ontario. For the Ministry’s official wording, see the source link below. SmartStudy is an independent service and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by the Government of Ontario or the Ministry of Education. Ontario Curriculum and Resources ↗
