In a new study, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) states that between 2003-2004, there wasn’t a major change in the infant mortality rate (6.78 deaths per 1,000 live births), but that African American babies still had the highest rate (13.6 deaths per 1,000 live births.) The leading causes of death were birth defects, disorders related to premature birth and low birth weight, sudden infant syndrome (SIDS), newborns affected by maternal complications, and accidents.