You know, this article hits way too close to home for me right now.  One of 
my husband's employee's girlfriend gave birth to a still born baby girl 
about a month ago after complications with bleeding at birth.  The mother 
was lucky to survive herself.  And she had very sketchy healthcare because 
she is a low-income family.  And here I am ready to deliver my son in just 8 
days!!  Makes you worry...but at least I have been monitored very closely by 
the high-risk doc and my reg. ob so I feel much safer!

Linda
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "greta von der luft" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Tuesday, May 09, 2006 6:48 PM
Subject: Fw: U.S. gets poor grades for newborns' survival


> Food for thought...
> Greta
>
>
> U.S. gets poor grades for newborns' survival
> Nation ranks near bottom among modern nations, better only than Latvia
>
>
> The Associated Press
> Updated: 9:05 a.m. ET May 9, 2006
>
>
> CHICAGO - America may be the world=E2=80=99s superpower, but its =
> survival rate for
> newborn babies ranks near the bottom among modern nations, better only =
> than
> Latvia.
>
>
> Among 33 industrialized nations, the United States is tied with Hungary,
> Malta, Poland and Slovakia with a death rate of nearly 5 per 1,000 =
> babies,
> according to a new report. Latvia=E2=80=99s rate is 6 per 1,000.
>
>
> =E2=80=9CWe are the wealthiest country in the world, but there are still =
> pockets of
> our population who are not getting the health care they need,=E2=80=9D =
> said Mary
> Beth Powers, a reproductive health adviser for the U.S.-based Save the
> Children, which compiled the rankings based on health data from =
> countries
> and agencies worldwide.
>
>
> The U.S. ranking is driven partly by racial and income health care
> disparities. Among U.S. blacks, there are 9 deaths per 1,000 live =
> births,
> closer to rates in developing nations than to those in the =
> industrialized
> world.
>
>
> =E2=80=9CEvery time I see these kinds of statistics, I=E2=80=99m always =
> amazed to see where
> the United States is because we are a country that prides itself on =
> having
> such advanced medical care and developing new technology ... and new
> approaches to treating illness. But at the same time not everybody has
> access to those new technologies,=E2=80=9D said Dr. Mark Schuster, a =
> Rand Co.
> researcher and pediatrician with the University of California, Los =
> Angeles.
>
>
> Less healthy than Britain
> The Save the Children report, released Monday, comes just a week after
> publication of another report humbling to the American health care =
> system.
> That study showed that white, middle-aged Americans are far less healthy
> than their peers in England, despite U.S. health care spending that is
> double that in England.
>
>
> In the analysis of global infant mortality, Japan had the lowest newborn
> death rate, 1.8 per 1,000 and four countries tied for second place with =
> 2
> per 1,000 =E2=80=94 the Czech Republic, Finland, Iceland and Norway.
>
>
> Still, it=E2=80=99s the impoverished nations that feel the full brunt of =
> infant
> mortality, since they account for 99 percent of the 4 million annual =
> deaths
> of babies in their first month. Only about 16,000 of those are in the
> United States, according to Save the Children.
>
>
> The highest rates globally were in Africa and South Asia. With a newborn
> death rate of 65 out of 1,000 live births, Liberia ranked the worst.
>
>
> In the United States, researchers noted that the population is more
> racially and economically diverse than many other industrialized =
> countries,
> making it more challenging to provide culturally appropriate health =
> care.
>
>
> About half a million U.S. babies are born prematurely each year, data =
> show.
> African-American babies are twice as likely as white infants to be
> premature, to have a low birth weight, and to die at birth, according to
> Save the Children.
>
>
> Low birth weight
> The researchers also said lack of national health insurance and short
> maternity leaves likely contribute to the poor U.S. rankings. Those =
> factors
> can lead to poor health care before and during pregnancy, increasing =
> risks
> for premature births and low birth weight, which are the leading causes =
> of
> newborn death in industrialized countries. Infections are the main =
> culprit
> in developing nations, the report said.
>
>
> Other possible factors in the U.S. include teen pregnancies and obesity
> rates, which both disproportionately affect African-American women and =
> also
> increase risk for premature births and low birth weights.
>
>
> In past reports by Save the Children =E2=80=94 released ahead of =
> Mother=E2=80=99s Day =E2=80=94
> U.S. mothers=E2=80=99 well-being has consistently ranked far ahead of =
> those in
> developing countries but poorly among industrialized nations. This year =
> the
> United States tied for last place with the United Kingdom on indicators
> including mortality risks and contraception use.
>
>
> While the gaps for infants and mothers contrast sharply with the =
> nation=E2=80=99s
> image as a world leader, Emory University health policy expert Kenneth
> Thorpe said the numbers are not surprising.
>
>
> =E2=80=9COur health care system focuses on providing high-tech services =
> for
> complicated cases. We do this very well,=E2=80=9D Thorpe said. =
> =E2=80=9CWhat we do not do
> is provide basic primary and preventive health care services. We do not =
> pay
> for these services, and do not have a delivery system that is designed =
> to
> provide either primary prevention, or adequately treat patients with
> chronic diseases.=E2=80=9D
>
>
> =C2=A9 2006 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may =
> not be
> published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
>
>
>
> =C2=A9 2006 MSNBC.com
>
>
> URL: =
> http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/12699453/<http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/1269945=
> 3/>
>
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