Infant Mortality Rate Hits New Low

The U.S. infant mortality rate reached its lowest level in history last year as average life expectancy rose to an all-time high of 76 1/2 years, the latest government statistics tracking the nation’s health show. Teen pregnancies, as measured by the number of live births, fell by 3%, continuing a downward trend that started six years ago, according to data compiled by an arm of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta and published in the journal Pediatrics. “All of the trends are positive,” said Dr. Bernard Guyer of the Johns Hopkins School of Hygiene and Public Health, who analyzed the government data in Pediatrics. The 1997 infant mortality rate--a measure of the number of deaths before a baby turns 1--was 7.1 deaths per 1,000 births. That was about 3% lower than the 1996 rate of 7.3.