PORTLAND, Maine - Infant mortality is on the rise in Maine, according to the Maine Children's Alliance Annual Kids Count data released Monday.
Executive Director Claire Berkowitz says from 2005 to 2015, the rate of infant deaths per thousand births rose from 5.6 to 6.7, "a troubling indicator that isn't just about the well-being of babies, but it's about the well-being of a community."
Berkowitz says the increased rate likely signals larger problems, such as lack of access to health care for women, as well as issues with education and poverty.