U.S. Infant Mortality Rate Worse Than in 40 Other Countries

[OKIsItJustMe]

U.S. Infant Mortality Rate Worse Than in 40 Other Countries

August 31, 2011 1:41 PM EDT

Babies born in the United States have a higher chance of dying in their first month than babies in much of the developed world, according to a new report on infant mortality rates.

Researchers at the World Health Organization looked at mortality rates for newborn babies over the last 20 years. Overall the rates of newborn deaths diminished, from 4.6 million in 1990 to 3.3 million in 2009, or from 33.2 deaths per 1,000 live births to 23.9 deaths per 1,000 births.

America made strides in the last two decades, but because it curtailed infant mortality rates by 26 percent, or less than the average drop, the United States now lags behind 40 other countries including Lithuania, Israel and Cuba. American newborns die at about the same rate as in Qatar, Croatia and the United Arab Emirates.

…

Lawn added that in the United States, the biggest hazard comes from premature babies who require greater care, something that is often expensive, and face heightened risk for asphyxia during birth, or from severe infections such as blood poisoning and pneumonia. In many cases, a lack of properly trained medical professionals is the culprit.

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:patriot:

http://www.plosmedicine.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pmed.1001080

[Turbineguy]

1. If the GOP wins in 2012

There will be fortunes to be made in the funeral business.

[fasttense]

2. All the medical professionals are too busy providing care to the idle rich.

No money? No Insurance? No Care. Welcome to the rationing of medical care based upon how much wealth you can con out of the poor and middle class. Americas quick declined into 3rd world status.

[valerief]

4. They save money on social security and medicare. That's what they want. nt

[DaveJ]

3. "lack of properly trained medical professionals"

One would think that the MASSIVE amount of time and money people are expected to spend to become nurses, then training would not be a problem.

But I guess the goal is just to take MASSIVE amount of time and money to prevent us from having care, not to actually improve medical care.

[OKIsItJustMe]

5. It’s partly a lack of medical professionals

http://www.aacn.nche.edu/media/factsheets/nursingshortage.htm

Fact Sheet
Updated July 2011

Nursing Shortage

| http://www.aacn.nche.edu/media/pdf/NrsgShortageFS.pdf">Download PDF version |
The United States is projected to have a nursing shortage that is expected to intensify as baby boomers age and the need for health care grows. Compounding the problem is the fact that nursing colleges and universities across the country are struggling to expand enrollment levels to meet the rising demand for nursing care.

The American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) is concerned about the shortage of Registered Nurses (RNs) and is working with schools, policy makers, kindred organizations, and the media to bring attention to this health care crisis. AACN is working to enact legislation, identify strategies, and form collaborations to address the nursing shortage. To keep stakeholders abreast of current statistics related to the shortage, this fact sheet has been developed along with a companion http://www.aacn.nche.edu/Media/shortageresource.htm">Web resource.

…

[DaveJ]

6. Yes, that is sort of my point. It is too hard to become a nurse.

I know people want well trained nurses, but the overly rigorous qualifications make it impossible for most people to consider entering the field. Then we complain there are shortages. Hospitals are making no effort to recruit. They are happy with the shortages and the high salaries they get as a result. This is a self-made problem, easy to fix, but due to greed it will not get fixed any time soon.

[CanSocDem]

8. It's complicated...

...even in a country that values public health.

In Canada for example, there are a variety of "nurse" practitioners who spend anywhere from 1 to 4 years in post-secondary training. A 4 year Bachelor of Science nurse has the knowledge and ability to run small medical clinics. Yet, they are under-utilized because the competition is all about getting 'a doctor'. And communities that cannot afford a doctor, suffer in not being able to treat, locally, minor medical emergencies.

The long arm of Profit Driven Health has also affected the lesser-trained practitioners with government sanctioned low wages that ultimately opens the door for non-unionized private contractors.

There was an uproar here recently when it became public that a BSc. nurse regularly took home over $110,000 annually because of the overtime she worked. It seemed like too much money...for a nurse...for many of us for many different reasons.

.

[LeftishBrit]

7. k&r for a depressing but important topic.