Infant Mortality

So apparently the US is tied for the second worst infant mortality rate among developed countries. Very interesting article. Sanghavi says:

Comparing infant mortality rates between countries is fraught with uncertainty—after all, it's hard to argue that every country's figures are reliable. But it's still worth asking what more we can do to stop babies from dying. Defined as death before one year of age, infant mortality frequently gets framed in the United States as a problem of insufficient health-care funding. In December, for example, a New York Times column* blamed it on the lack of a single-payer health insurer. However, a closer look reveals the counterintuitive possibility that high infant mortality in the United States might be the unintended side effect of increased spending on medical care.

His argument is that a third to half of infant deaths are related to premature births. Thus reducing premature births would reduce infant mortality. "But modern medicine isn't good at preventing prematurity—just the opposite. Better and more affordable medical care actually has worsened the rate of prematurity, and likely the rate of infant mortality, by making fertility treatment widespread."

Keeping with one of the themes of Wikikarmel (not saying anything controversial, just reporting facts), I will refrain from commenting. But very interesting article indeed. Thoughts, my loyal readers?

*Requires a subscription to Time's Select.