2.13.2004

Speaking of Pregnancy

Did you know that the US infant mortality rate has gone up for the first time in something like three or four decades?

The percentage (3) may not seem significant, but in an industrialized country where good health service is available (if not to all), there is no good reason for the infant mortality rate to go anywhere but down. This is true even when you factor in the fact that many women are choosing to have children later in life and this can bring more risks.

It may be a dreaded indicator of the severity of the medical care crisis. It certainly does not bode well for the country as a whole. And you have to wonder if some of the Bush programs aren't directly responsible for this shift.