‘A recent study released by Children Defense Fund shows that this death rate among children between one month and one year of age, increased at steep rate between 1982 and 1983, It shows 3% increase during this period of preliminary statistical analysis indicate an additional 6% in 1984.
This presumed 9% rise in infant death rate is of major concern to CDF.
Infant mortality rate is. primarily determined by environmental and social factors like low family income, poor housing and sanitation, poor diet and lack of basic health car services. These factors are largely preventable.
CDF is of opinion that this rise in infant mortality rate in past few years appears to be due to federal cuts in programs affecting children and mothers.
‘The current overall infants’ mortality rate is 11.7 per 1000 births. It’s 9.7 among white infants and 16.8 for nonwhite infants.
Another study reported in Journal of American Medical Association by Kaiser Permanent health clinics in California found 6.1 of white infants were low birth weight compared to 7.71 of black infants. The study feels, “biological or genetic ” factors play a major role in the higher incident of low birth weight which could be the cause for higher infants mortality rate among black population.
‘Smoking and drinking alcohol during pregnancy, age of the mother and level of education of the mother are some of the contributing factors responsible for low birthweight.
Article extracted from this publication >> February 7, 1986
