The infant mortality rate in the United States improved between 2005 and 2014, declining 15 percent, according to new numbers released Tuesday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The rate of infant deaths dropped from 6.9 per 1,000 births to 5.8 during that time period. Florida's rate dropped by the same amount as the national rate, 15 percent, but still remains above the national average, at 6.1 deaths per 1,000 births.