What is the definition of the infant mortality rate?

The infant mortality rate is defined as the number of deaths occurring in infants aged 1 year or younger per 1,000 live births during a specified time period, typically a year. This metric is crucial for assessing the overall health of a population and can provide insights into the effectiveness of healthcare systems, maternal health, and socioeconomic conditions.

The option indicating deaths from conception to 1 year of age does not accurately describe infant mortality, as it incorporates prenatal factors that are not included in the standard definition. Similarly, options that only account for deaths from birth to specific intervals such as 28 days or 90 days are more specific subsets of infant mortality, such as neonatal mortality, rather than the comprehensive rate that includes all deaths from birth to 1 year. Thus, the choice describing deaths from birth to 1 year of age captures the full scope of the infant mortality rate as it is conventionally defined.