Babies in U.S. More Likely to Die than Those in Cuba or Europe

[The Straight Story]

Babies in U.S. More Likely to Die than Those in Cuba or Europe
Monday, December 28, 2009

High death rates among newborn children have historically been a problem associated with the developing world. But the United States finds itself experiencing a higher infant mortality rate (defined as deaths in the first year of life, per 1,000 live births) than Cuba or many European nations. According to numbers compiled by the National Center for Health Statistics, the U.S. rate in 2005 was 6.9, compared to Cuba’s 6.2 or Poland’s 6.4. The frequency of newborns dying in the U.S. was more than three times that of Singapore (2.1).

A big reason why the U.S. infant mortality rate has gone up is because more American mothers are giving birth to premature babies. America’s preterm birth rate (defined as those born between 22 and 36 weeks of gestation) in 2004 was 12.4—considerably higher than that in Ireland (5.5), Finland (5.6), Greece (6.0) and Slovakia (6.3).

http://www.allgov.com/ViewNews/Babies_in_US_More_Likely_to_Die_than_Those_in_Cuba_or_Europe_91228

[Mari333]

1. health care graph

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x7334934

as long as we do not provide quality health care for the public, and prefer war, this will be the result.

and where are the pro lifers in all this?

[Triana]

2. Indeed. Where ARE they? Health care for women - reproductive care...

..including prenatal care is always some sort of bargaining chip instead of being considered non-negotiable as it should be. Infant mortality is UP in the US and in child care we rank 47th among developed Western nations. (we're going DOWN).

Richest country in the world. Always pretentiously claiming "we are pro-life" - "our children are our future", yadda yadda.

REALLY?

WHEN will we start acting like it? Our educational system is crap too - public schools are underfunded, defunded, and falling apart. Instead we spend more money on - WAR.

All the pretentious language is meaningless unless there is ACTION and MONEY to back it up. Watch where the MONEY goes and WHO gets used as bargaining chips in the halls of congress and THAT is where you see the reality of what this country's priorities REALLY are.


Pfft!

[Nikki Stone1]

3. And the bill coming out of Congress will not provide quality care.

It will provide a bonanza to insurance companies and Wall Street. Babies will still die.

[Goldstein1984]

4. Yes, but it's mostly the babies of the poor

We are not what we pretend to be as a country.

[Vidar]

5. K&R.

[Quantess]

6. How embarrassing to the USA.