U.S. children are less likely to die in infancy, less likely to smoke in the eighth or 10th grade, and less likely to give birth during adolescence than they were a few years ago, according to the sixth annual report, "America’s Children: Key National Indicators of Well-Being, 2002."
Infant mortality rate dropped from 7.2 deaths per 1,000 live births in 1997 and 1998 to seven deaths per 1,000 live births in 1999, the study says.
"The drop in infant mortality is very encouraging. Infant mortality is a stubborn, resistant problem; so even a slight decline is a victory," says Duane Alexander, MD, director of the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.
The figure indicates that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Healthy People 2000 goals for reducing infant mortality were met a year early. Here are some other highlights of the report:
- The adolescent birth rate in 2000 was 27 per 1,000 women ages 15-17, a drop from 29 per thousand in 1999.
- The percentage of children having at least one parent working full time increased from 79% in 1999 to 80% in 2000.
- The majority of children — 82% — are in very good or excellent health.
- Although children living in poverty are less likely than children in high-income families to be in good or excellent health, the gap is narrowing. In the most recent study, 70% of low-income children were in very good or excellent health compared with 60% in 1984.
- In 2000, 64% of all U.S. children were white, non-Hispanic; 16% were Hispanic; 15% were black, non-Hispanic; 4% were Asian/Pacific Islander; and 1% were American Indian/Alaskan Native.
The report is available at http://childstats.gov.
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