Child-mortality rates and teen birthrates in the United States are decreasing, according to a study by a group of federal agencies that analyze data on children and families.
“America’s Children: Key National Indicators of Well-Being, 2005” is available at ChildStats.gov.
The Federal Interagency Forum on Child and Family Statistics study found that mortality rates for children ages 1 to 4 fell from 64 deaths per 100,000 in 1980 to 31 deaths per 100,000 in 2002. Mean-while, the birthrate among teenagers fell across all racial and ethnic groups, dropping the most among African-American girls, from 86 births per 1,000 in 1991 to 39 births per 1,000 in 2003.
