Health Status > Infants
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INTERNATIONAL INFANT MORTALITY
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Although the infant mortality rate in the United
States has declined significantly in recent decades, it
was still ranked below many other industrialized nations
in 2003 with a rate of 6.9 deaths per 1,000 live births.
This represents a slight decline from the rate of 7.0 in
2002, and is equal to the rate from 2001; however, it is
considerably below the rate of 26.0 per 1,000 reported in
1960. Differences in infant mortality rates among industrialized
nations may reflect disparities in the health status of
women before and during pregnancy, as well as the quality
and accessibility of primary care for pregnant women and
infants. However, some of these differences may be due,
in part, to the international variation in the definition,
reporting, and measurement of infant mortality.
According to data reported by individual
countries, six countries or territories had infant mortality
rates that were half the rate of the United States or less.
Hong Kong had the lowest rate (2.3 per 1,000), followed
by Singapore (2.5 per 1,000). Overall, the United States
was ranked 28th.
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Horizontal Bar Chart: International Infant
Mortality Rates: 2003
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