Infant Mortality
Overview
Infant mortality is defined as the death of an infant between birth and one year of age. Sociologists often look at a nation's infant mortality rate to determine that particular nation's general state of health. International statistics show that the world's industrialized nations have a lower infant mortality rate than that of poorer nations. Infant death may result from a number of causes—stemming from congenital and environmental factors as well as poor diet and medical care—but premature birth is among the most common.
Background
A careful look at individual nations with lower rates often reveals a distinct difference among that nation's ethnic groups; wealthy white babies have a much lower mortality rate than do poor blacks, for instance. Poor mothers have less access to health care and thus have more premature babies, who are then at a higher risk of disease and death. It is every country's goal to improve its infant mortality rates so that every baby born has an equal chance of survival.
Among the countries of the world, the less industrialized nations have high infant mortality rates of about 100 per 1000 births. Western countries that provide good health care programs have lower rates, between 4 to 15 per 1000 births.
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