Jared Ragland/for NPRJared Ragland/for NPRFor months, Dr. Daniel Edney had watched his state’s infant mortality rate rise. Mississippi’s infant mortality rate is among the highest in the country, but advocates warn that the rate across the U.S. is also too high. Mississippi recently declared a public health emergency after infant mortality rates shot up. Preterm birth is a significant factor in infant mortality. Despite all the analysis of the causes of infant mortality in Mississippi, some losses are inexplicable.