Health Care and Infant Mortality: The Real Story

The American medical system has the latest technology, the greatest variety of new drugs and unparalleled resources. But anyone who thinks we're getting something great for our dollars inevitably encounters a two-word rebuke: infant mortality.

The United States is the richest nation on Earth, but it comes in 29th in the world in survival rates among babies. This mediocre ranking is supposed to make an irrefutable case for health care reform. If we cared enough to insure everyone, we are told, we would soon rise to the health standards of other modern nations.

It's just a matter of getting over our weird resistance to a bigger government role in medical care.

But not every health issue is a health care issue. The reason boxers are unusually prone to concussions is not that they lack medical insurance. Doctors may treat head injuries, but it's a lot easier to prevent them. Absent prevention, we shouldn't blame the medical industry for punch-drunk fighters.

No one denies the problem. Our infant mortality rate is double that of Sweden. But we have more births to teenagers (seven times more than the Swedes).

Nearly 40 percent of American babies are born to unwed mothers...

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