Infant Immortality Essay example -- essays research papers

Infant Mortality in the United States   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Trends in infant mortality are considered to be a barometer of technology and an accurate indicator of the health of a society. Despite technological excellence and numerous social programs offered throughout the country, the infant mortality rate (IMR) in the United States continues to be a national concern. For many, â€Å"infant mortality† brings to mind the deprivation and poverty found in third world countries. Yet in the United States, nearly 40,000 children die every year for some of the same reasons that cause infant death in underdeveloped parts of the world (Anderson, 1987).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Infant mortality is prevalent in this country despite a richly developed and technologically advanced society. According to the Census Bureau, the IMR in the United States has dropped almost 66 percent in the past three decades (Eberstadt, 1991). In 1960, out of every thousand babies born, 26 died within their first year of life. By 1991, that number had dropped to less than nine out of every thousand babies (Eberstadt et al., 1991). According to the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the US infant mortality rate in 1987 was higher than in 23 other countries or territories, including most of Western Europe, Hong Kong, and Singapore. The US infant mortality rate was about 20 percent higher than Norway’s, nearly 50 percent higher than in the Netherlands, and 200 percent higher than Japan’s (Eberstadt et al., 1991). The United States has not always fared so poorly in this international ranking. In the early 1950’s it ranked sixth best (Anderson et al., 1987).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Select Committee on Hunger held a Congressional hearing on infant mortality in the United States on April 29, 1987. Representative Mickey Leland (D., TX), the committee’s chairperson, acknowledged the continued statistical improvements over the prior two decades. But he was very critical of the decline of the United States in the international ranking, expressing dismay that a country as wealthy and powerful as the United States should have an infant mortality rate worse than that of 16 other industrialized nations (Anderson et al., 1987). Through mediums such as this hearing and other forums, the federal government addresses this concern and establish... ...rson must strive to ensure that babies survive. No amount of technological skill can combat the preventative measures of proper prenatal care. The ultimate voice of prevention will only be heard by women who have enough maternal instinct to seek available prenatal and infant care. References   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Anderson, G. (December 1987). Dying Young: Infant Mortality in the United States. America Press, Inc., 498-501.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Barnes-Boyd, C., Norr, K., & Nacion, K. (1996). Evaluation of an Interagency Home Visiting Program to Reduce Postneonatal Mortality in Disadvantaged Communities. Public Health Nursing Vol.13 No. 3, 201-208.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Eberstadt, N. (Fall 1991). America’s Infant-Mortality Puzzle. The Public Interest, No 105, 111-112.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  March of Dimes Birth Defects Foundation. (1996). Birth Defects and Infant Mortality: A National and Regional Profile. Petrini, J. (Ed.).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Strobino, D., O’Campo, P., Schoendorf, K. (December 1995). A Strategic Framework for Infant Mortality Reduction: Implications for â€Å"Healthy Start†. The Milbank Quarterly Vol. 73 No. 4, 27.