The statement about "modest" effect was, by my reading, about the 1990s, and the link to the study "[9]" seems to verify this. "Although improvements in medica

The statement about "modest" effect was, by my reading, about the 1990s, and the link to the study "[9]" seems to verify this. "Although improvements in medical care were the main force for declines in infant mortality during the second half of the century, public health actions played a role. During the 1990s, a greater than 50% decline in SIDS rates (attributed to the recommendation that infants be placed to sleep on their backs) has helped to reduce the overall infant mortality rate (8). The reduction in vaccine-preventable diseases (e.g., diphtheria, tetanus, measles, poliomyelitis, and Haemophilus influenzae type b meningitis) has reduced infant morbidity and has had a modest effect on infant mortality (9)." 9 = https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/PDF/wk/mm4629.pdf https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/PDF/wk/mm4629.pdf