Report: Now Less American Infants Are Dying

The United States ranked 29th in the world in infant mortality in 2004, compared to 27th in 2000, 23rd in 1990 and 12th in 1960, according to a new report from CDC′s National Center for Health Statistics.

It's good news, because infant mortality is considered as the most important indicators of the health of a nation, as it is associated with quality and access to medical care, maternal health, socioeconomic conditions, and public health practices. The U.S. infant mortality rate has generally declined throughout. The rates are worse than some other industrialized nation though. The medical industry needs to do a lot more to make the rates better still.

Here are the key Findings:

• The U.S. infant mortality rate was 6.78 infant deaths per 1,000 live births in 2004.

• Infant mortality rates were generally lowest (below 3.5 per 1,000) in selected Scandinavian (Sweden, Norway, Finland) and East Asian (Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore) countries.

• Twenty-two countries had infant mortality rates below 5.0 in 2004.

• The current U.S. infant mortality rate is about 50 percent higher than the national goal of 4.5 infant deaths per 1,000 births.

• The report shows the U.S. infant mortality rate did not decline from 2000 to 2005. However, preliminary data for 2006 show a significant 2 percent decline between 2005 and 2006

• The infant mortality rate for non-Hispanic black women was 2.4 times the rate for non-Hispanic white women. Rates were also higher for Puerto Rican and American Indian women, 8.30 and 8.06 respectively.

While infant mortality rates are now more desirable, American kids may be at risk, reason free pharmaceutical drug Samples.