For the year 1989, there were 9.8 infant deaths per 1,000 live births, which is down from 10 per 1,000 in 1988. While the infant mortality rate among European-American newborns dipped four percent from 1988 to 1989, the rate among African-Americans remained essentially unchanged. For 1989, the European-American infant death rates-wore 8.2 per 1,000. In contrast, African-American infants were more than twice as likely to die in their first year of life as their European-American counterparts. The federal government has set a goal of lowering overall infant mortality to seven deaths per 1,000 live births by the year 2,000, with the African-American rate being no higher than 11. At current rates, the Centers for Disease Control indicates that the goal for African-American infants is not likely to be met. In order to achieve this goal, the current rate of decline would have to double throughout the 1990s. Soderstrom (1978, p. 226) reports that the infant mortality rate for Canada underwent drastic reduction, going from 102.1 per 1,000 live births in 1921 to 15.5 per 1,000 in 1973. There was particularly a large drop between 1921 and 1931, going from 102.1 per 1,000 live births to 86 per 1,000. There was another dramatic drop between 1941 and 1951, with the rate of infant mortality declining from 61.1 per 1,000 live births to 38.5 per 1,000.
The World Health Organization (Hamilton, 1991, p. 148) reports that, for male infants, the average height and weight is respectively: at birth, 18 inches, 7.5 pounds; at six months, 26 inches, 17 pounds; at age one year, 29 inches, 21 pounds. For female infants, the average height and weight is respectively: at birth, 18 inches, 7.5 pounds; at six months, 24 inches, 16 pounds; at age one year, 29 inches, 20 pounds. Low birth weights, thus, would be those infant weights that are lower than the average weights reported by the World Health Organization. La Rosa (1989, p. 106) reports that in...