Infant Mortality is the death of a baby before his or her first birthday. The infant mortality rate is an estimate of the number of infant deaths for every 1,000 live births. The CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) states this rate is often used as an indicator to measure the health and well-being of a nation. Efforts to reduce infant deaths in Shelby County includes improvement in early access to care, minimizing health risk, and increasing breastfeeding rates as well as other education and outreach efforts.