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1993.05.19 :  Child Health USA '92           

Contact:  Public Health Service
Wednesday, May 19, 1993                 Patricia Campbell
                                             (301) 443-3376

       Infant and childhood death rates have declined substantially,
but neglect and abuse continue to scar and kill many children,
according to an annual publication prepared by two U.S. Public Health
Service agencies.
       Child Health USA '92 was issued by the Health Resources and
Services Administration's Maternal and Child Health Bureau in
conjunction with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's
National Center for Health Statistics.
       Among its statistical indicators of child health:
       --15 percent of American children under 6 have elevated
levels of lead in their blood,
       --homicide has tripled to become the fourth leading cause of 
death for children ages 1 to 9, and
       --unintentional injuries such as automobile accidents and
drownings--often avoidable--are the primary cause of young deaths.
       The publication reports that in 1990, 9.8 million, or more than
15 percent of children under 18, had no health insurance coverage.
       "We often hear that our children are our future, and that we
must promote their physical and mental well-being.  Child Health USA
'92 shows how far we have to go toward better protecting these
children, and the future they represent," said HHS Secretary 
Donna E. Shalala.

       Child Health USA '92's statistics include these indicators:
       --In 1990, 13.4 million children under 18 lived in poverty, an
increase of 1.9 million since 1980.  Black and Hispanic children are
two to three times more likely to live in poverty than white children.
       --Nearly 2.7 million cases of suspected child abuse and neglect
were reported in 1991, an increase of 40 percent since 1985.  An
estimated 1,383 children died from abuse or neglect in 
1991.
       --As of June 30, 1992, 3,898 cases of AIDS in children under 13
have been reported in the United States.  The majority of pediatric
AIDS cases result from transmission by mothers with HIV infection,
with a disproportionate number of black and Hispanic children having
the disease.
       --Public assistance programs, such as Medicaid, have not
resulted in improved access to medical and dental services for all
children.  In 1991, one-third of all Medicaid recipients under 21 had
not visited a doctor that year, and more than three-quarters had not
seen a dentist.
       --Although the United States has greatly reduced its infant
mortality rate since 1965, it still ranks 23rd among industrialized
nations.  The infant mortality rate for black infants in 1990 was 2.4
times the rate for white infants.
       --In 1990, 289,418 (7 percent) of all live births were of low
birth weight, which is defined as less than 5.5 pounds. Low birth
weight is the factor most closely associated with neonatal mortality,
and the percent of low birth weight births did not decrease between
1980 and 1990.

       "Many of the nation's children, especially those living in
poverty, are at risk for death and disability," said MCHB Director
Audrey H. Nora, M.D., M.P.H.  "By clearly identifying the factors that
put children at risk, as done in Child Health USA '92, the public
health community can better develop prevention strategies that will
protect many children from physical and emotional harm."
       Child Health USA '92 is available at no charge from the
National Maternal and Child Health Clearinghouse, 8201 Greensboro
Drive, Suite 600, McLean, Va. 22161 or call 703-821-8955, 
ext. 254.
       HRSA and CDC are U.S. Public Health Service agencies within
HHS.

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