Deaths directly related to preterm births have increased, especially for non-Hispanic black women, according to new statistics released today from the CDS.

According to the latest statistics released, African-Americans are 2.4 times as likely to die as infants, compared with white newborns. Per 1,000 live births of black children, 13.26 died as infants in 2005, according to the data from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Among Hispanics, infant mortality rates ranged from 4.42 for mothers of Cuban descent to 8.30 for women of Puerto Rican origin. Babies born to non-Hispanic black women were 3.4 times more likely to die from preterm-related causes than were non-Hispanic white women. The preterm-related infant mortality rate for Puerto Rican mothers was 87% higher than that seen in non-Hispanic white moms.

However, the nation’s infant mortality rate inched up slightly in 2005 to 6.9, from 6.8 percent in 2004.

“Essentially, there has been no improvement in the infant death rate since 2000, and the increase in the proportion of infants who die from preterm-related causes is troubling,” said Joann Petrini, PhD, director of the March of Dimes Perinatal Data Center. “Preventing preterm birth is crucial to reducing the nation’s infant mortality rate and giving every baby a healthy start in life.”

However, experts say it is difficult to identify the connections between race and higher infant mortality.

The CDC says the higher rates are largely attributable to low birth weight, shorter gestations and premature births. More than half of all infant deaths in the U.S. in 2005 occurred in babies born extremely early -- before 32 weeks gestation. The three leading causes of infant death were congenital malformations, low birth weight and sudden infant death syndrome.