Low Birth Weight, Infant Mortality Up In SC

An annual report on children presents a sobering statistic: the percentage of underweight babies born in the U.S. has increased to its highest rate in 40 years.  The findings are being released today in the annual Kids Count report on the health and well-being of America's children.

In South Carolina, 10.2% of newborns are underweight.  That is an increase of .06% in just four years.  Infant mortality has increased as well. Per 1,000 births, 9.4% of babies do not live, according to the report.

Overall, the report does note improvements in the rate of deaths among children and teens, along with the teen birth rate, high school dropout rate, and teens not in school and not working.

 You can read the entire report about South Carolina by clicking here.