Infant Mortality In USA Improves, But Still Compares Badly With Other Industrialized Nations

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Main Category: Pediatrics / Children's Health
Also Included In: Public Health
Article Date: 11 Nov 2007 - 12:00 PST

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While the infant mortality rate in the USA has carried on to falling, compared to other industrialized nations around the globe, the country is ranked very near the bottom. In 1960 US infant mortality rate stood at 26 deaths per 1,000 births, while in 2006 it improved to 7 deaths per 1,000 births (Save the Children).

Even though child mortality rates have improved in the USA, over the last half-century other industrialized countries have progressed faster and moved ahead. Japan has the best rates in the world with 1.8 deaths per thousand live births.

Most statistics that come out of the USA reveal a nation with much more acute inequalities among social/ethnic groups, compared to the other industrialized nations. Even countries such as Slovenia, Lithuania, and Estonia are enjoying superior infant mortality rates (compared to the USA). In fact, if current trends continue, it will not be long before the USA slips further down, making way for several developing nations.

Below you can see the list of newborn deaths per 1,000 live births in the top 33 industrialized countries. They are grouped from A to F. A is the group with the best rates, while F has the worst. Each group is listed alphabetically.

Deaths per 1,000 births - 2006
(Source - Save the Children)

Group A
- Japan 1.8 deaths per 1,000 live births
Group B
- Czech Rep 2 deaths per 1,000 live births
- Finland 2 deaths per 1,000 live births
- Iceland 2 deaths per 1,000 live births
- Norway 2 deaths per 1,000 live births
Group C
- Austria 3 deaths per 1,000 live births
- France 3 deaths per 1,000 live births
- Germany 3 deaths per 1,000 live births
- Israel 3 deaths per 1,000 live births
- Italy 3 deaths per 1,000 live births
- Luxembourg 3 deaths per 1,000 live births
- Portugal 3 deaths per 1,000 live births
- Slovenia 3 deaths per 1,000 live births
- Spain 3 deaths per 1,000 live births
Group D
- Australia 4 deaths per 1,000 live births
- Belgium 4 deaths per 1,000 live births
- Canada 4 deaths per 1,000 live births
- Denmark 4 deaths per 1,000 live births
- Estonia 4 deaths per 1,000 live births
- Greece 4 deaths per 1,000 live births
- Ireland 4 deaths per 1,000 live births
- Lithuania 4 deaths per 1,000 live births
- Netherlands 4 deaths per 1,000 live births
- New Zealand 4 deaths per 1,000 live births
- Switzerland 4 deaths per 1,000 live births
- United Kingdom 4 deaths per 1,000 live births
Group E
- Hungary 5 deaths per 1,000 live births
- Malta 5 deaths per 1,000 live births
- Poland 5 deaths per 1,000 live births
- Slovakia 5 deaths per 1,000 live births
- USA - 5 deaths per 1,000 live births
Group F
- Latvia 6 deaths per 1,000 live births

Written by׃
Christian Nordqvist
Copyright: Medical News Today
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