Your Health: Feb. 11, 2002

GOOD NEWS

BLESSED EVENT It's practically the definition of good news: U.S. infant mortality is down 3%, according to the latest annual figures, and down 21% for the past 10 years. And yet the U.S. rate of 7 infant deaths per 1,000 live births hides some real inequities. The mortality rate for babies of black mothers is four times as high as the rate for Asian Americans. Deaths are also high for babies of Puerto Ricans, Hawaiians, Native Americans, and mothers who smoked, were in their teens or received no prenatal care.

BAD NEWS

UNEASY RIDERS The downside of baby...

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