Too Many Babies Are Dying
Infant Mortality Rate
U.S. Infant Mortality Rate
Six infants die, in the U.S., out of every 1000 live births (1). That makes infants born in the U.S. twice as likely to die than if they were born in any other developed country in the world, yet the U.S. spends more money on healthcare than any other country (2). Map below (4).
Causes
The causes of U.S. infant death are mother's health (before and during the pregnancy), the prenatal care conceived, care received at home, diseases/abnormalities, Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), and accidents (3). Most infant deaths occur after the first month of life, so the hospitals are not the issue (3).
What Needs To Be Done
If a woman is pregnant or planning to become pregnant she will need to become educated about her pregnancy and the needs of her baby, before and after they are born.
How To Lower These Odds
Pregnant women need to take care of themselves and the baby in order to conceive a healthy, lively infant.
-Receive prenatal care
-Learn to care for infant before he/she is born
-Frequent doctor visits
-Baby proof home
(3).
What can you do?
Young adults can start by assuring their health and educating themselves about infants and how to handle pregnancy, whenever their time to have a child may come. Learn this through a child development class, or a hands on experience with a baby, through babysitting, will teach the basics of infant needs. Learning at a young age and becoming healthy will only help in the future with the health of yourself and your child.