Numerator
Number of infant (under age 1 year) deaths due to congenital heart (ICD-10 codes Q20-24) and vascular defects (ICD-10 codes Q25-Q28)
Methodology
To create linked data files, death certificates are linked with corresponding birth certificates for infants who die in the U.S. before their first birthday. The linked file is used for calculating infant mortality rates by race and ethnicity because these variables are more accurately collected on the birth certificate than the death certificate.