ABSTRACT
Despite impressive gains in technological advances in recent years, the United States lags behind most developed countries in almost every indicator of maternal and child health and family well-being. Although some national data are not directly comparable between the United States and individual countries, the conclusions of all comparative studies indicate that outcomes in Europe and other developed nations are generally better. Each year approximately 3.7 million women—about 7% of all U.S. women of childbearing age—have a baby. About four in ten of these women are unemployed or work only part-time and more than one-fourth of them are poor: that is, they have a family income below the federal poverty level. This results in about 12 million children in poverty. New census data indicate that almost one in ten persons are now receiving food stamps, a national program to assist poor families in purchasing food. Crime rates are increasing, especially related to drug traffic and use. Homicide is now the most frequent cause of death among black, teenage boys.
