Md. falls in child welfare ranking -- baltimoresun.com: Maryland is one of the nation's wealthiest states, yet its infant mortality rate increased 11 percent between 2000 to 2004 and ranked as the nation's ninth worst, according to the 2007 Kids Count Databook, a report released yesterday by the Annie E. Casey Foundation.
'Maryland's current rate of 8.4 infant deaths per 1,000 live births is nearly 23 percent higher than the national rate,' says the report, also noting that the number of low birth-weight babies increased by 8 percent and was more than 15 percent higher than the national rate.
The Kids Count Databook uses 10 indicators to measure how children are faring nationally in the areas of health, education and safety. The indicators include death rates of children and teenagers, parents' employment and income, and teen pregnancy and dropout rates.
