Infant Mortality in U.S. We are allowing our infants to die so corporations can profit.

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The previous ranking of the U.S.: 2010 -- 2005 = 7.07%, 2005 -- 2000 = 6.81%, 2000 -- 1995 = 6.92%, 1995 -- 1990 = 7.49%, 1990 -- 1985 = 8.81%. Still, is the current ranking acceptable to U.S. voters? Infant mortality rate averaged for the world is 494% accord to the United Nations and 4209% according to the CIA World Factbook. Afghanistan is the worst country in the world in 2011 ranking 222 at a rate of 121.63% (See documentary movie "Poison Dust, could U.S. troops serving in Iraq and elsewhere come home severely damaged -- even if they avoid getting killed or wounded" [Like VietNam Agent Orange] Directed and edited by Sue Harris and the Peoples Video Network. Scientists expose the Pentagon Cover-Up! Notable individuals appearance: Ramsey Clark, Former U.S. Attorneys General, Dr. Rosalie Bertell, Environmental Epidemilolgist, John Gonzalez, Daily News writer who broke the scandal, Dr. Michio Kaku, Professor Nuclear Physics C.U.N.Y.) .

Non-partisan research demands investigation to the reasons for infant mortality prior to investigation for who/what is responsible for such conduct? (This article deliberately held, for release 10-3-2012 due to the first Presidential debate.) According to the W.H.O., World Health Organization (http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs333/en/index.html), there are definitive reasons for infant mortality is ". . . mothers and newborns do not receive skilled care during and immediately after birth." Also "Up to two-thirds of newborn deaths can be prevented if known, effective health measures are provided at birth and during the first week of life."  Neonatal deaths, 75% occur during the first week of life, and between 25% to 45% occur within the first 24 hours. Newborn death-rate of 80% of this age group attributed to: A- prematurity, B- low-firth --weight, C- infections, D- asphyxia (lack of oxygen), E- birth trauma. The first days of life are the most critical for newborn survival.

1-       Most newborns die at home, without skilled care that could greatly increase their chances for survival.

2-       Skilled health care during pregnancy.

3-       Skilled health care during childbirth.

4-       Skilled health care during postnatal period prevents complications for the mother and newborn.

5-       Skilled health care can detect early and management problems.

6-       Low-birth-weight of babies.

7-       Babies born HIV-positive, requires additional care and possible hospital referral.

8-       Babies born sick, requires additional care and possible hospital referral.

9-       Mothers who give birth in health facilities cannot return for postnatal care because of #1- financial, #2 social and other barriers.

Recommendation of home visits by skilled health workers during a baby's first week of life, days one and three, and if possible a third visit. Infant care should include breastfeeding, infant warmth (skin-to-skin contact between mother and infant), hygienic umbilical cord and skin care. Access of infant signs of serious health problems, family advise, promote medical care. Families of infants should look for danger signs of feeding problems, reduced activity, difficult breathing, fever, fits or convulsions, feels cold. Birth registration and timely vaccinations to national schedules, along with extra attention to hygiene especially hand washing.

 The World Health Organization, United Nations, UNICEF agree a core principle underlying maternal, newborn and child health efforts is lifelong access to health care; through pregnancy and childbirth, during childhood and adolescence, a continuum of care for the mother from long before pregnancy.

We are now progressing into the political problems in the country. The World Health Organization, United Nations, UNICEF agree, "the continuum begins with adequate newborn care for the infant. Appropriate health-care can be delivered in the home and community, as well as health clinics and hospitals." The C.D.C., Center for Disease Control, states the U.S. ranks 29^th in comparison to the world in infant mortality, tied with Slovakia and Poland but behind Cuba. You, as an informed U.S. voter, can you live with over 28,000 U.S. babies die before their first birthday. The U.S. ranked 12^th place in infant mortality in 1960, but 13.63% among non-Hispanic Black Americans and 5.76% among non-Hispanic white Americans. (Source CDC and WebMD Health News: http://www.webmd.com/parenting/baby/news/20081015/infant-mortality-us-ranks-29th ).

The future of the U.S. is totally dependent upon our younger generation. Secondary is the way we act, conduct of U.S. society, accessible insurance, economy, education, job placement, etc.

"The philosophy of the school room in one generation will be the philosophy of government in the next." President Abraham Lincoln 1863.

"You cannot escape the responsibility of tomorrow by evading it today." President Abraham Lincoln 1864.

The true investigative route is to "follow the money". (See: U.S. National Center for Health Statistice, Marian F. MacDorman. March of Dimes, Dr. Alan Fleischman).  The number one (1) public health care problem in America is infant mortality (See: U.S. News Health, http://health.usnews.com/health-news/family-health/womens-health/articles/2009/11/03/cdc-finds-us-30th-in-infant-mortality ).

Poverty has a high influence upon infant mortality due to "child abuse and neglect" and "infectious diseases". A mother needs the attention of medical evaluation prior to pregnancy, during pregnancy, infant post-natal care. Meaning a "war on women" is anti-American. Providing affordable healthcare to all is a definitive positive impact upon U.S. society. In 2008, the fall of the "Too Big To Fail" private banks placed women, mothers, families into a position to decide to spend money to eat or to pay health insurance. "Follow The Money" reveals corporate lack of empathy to infant deaths.

Where does a woman go if she does not have health insurance? Planned Parenthood, who will examine the mother, ensure her health during pregnancy, infant post-birth, and follow the infant through childhood and adolescence without financial payments from a mother/family who could otherwise not afford these health insurance issues. Dr. Alan Fleischman, March of Dimes, states: "Reasons for this, he said, include a lack of universal access to health care for women of childbearing age or pregnant women of any age. That's a tremendous difference with our European Friends."

Unions have had a huge impact upon benefits of U.S. workers in the entire country than they are given credit. Unions have negotiated contracts that include health insurance for employees of corporations/like entities in-which the Union represents. U.S. corporations/like entities had to include health benefits to employees of non-Union represented workplace in an effort to keep Unions out of employee representation. Such Union representation included employer offered insurance with employer partial payment of monthly premiums. (See: AFL-CIO, http://www.aflcio.org/Issues ).

Sometimes, do we "cut-off our nose to spite our face"? Yes, President Franklin D. Roosevelt pushed for universal health-care to Congress in 1933, as part of the New Deal. There became an unusual joining of lobbying Congress with an agreement between the AFL-CIO Unions and Coalition of American Companies, C.A.C., telling Congress NO! The reasons behind the AFL-CIO was negotiating for health benefits is a major point that encourages nationwide Union membership. The CAC argued the ruin of employing companies if they were forced to offer health insurance. (See: Congressional Record via Thomas Library of Congress, http://thomas.loc.gov/home/thomas2.html referring to President Thomas Jefferson).

Poverty in the U.S. in 2011 was 15.7% with 46.2 million in poverty (includes people of all ages) better than the 16.3% in 2010. (See, U.S. Census Bureau,  http://www.census.gov/prod/2012pubs/p60-243.pdf). The total of people in the U.S. without health insurance in 2011 is 308,827, families (not the number of people in the families, the number of families) 252,316, children under 18 is 72,568, under the age of 6 is 23,860 (See U.S. Census Bureau). U.S. people working who have no access to health insurance is 193,213 between the age of 18 to 64. U.S. people with a disability is 14,968 who have no access to health insurance, but required due to the disability, as per U.S. Census. Is it any surprise those at the poverty level cannot afford health insurance?

What is the cost of health insurance? $512 a month for one healthy male, via CareFirst/Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Washington. The monthly premium for a woman, especially child bearing age, is much higher. (See: The American Dream. http://endoftheamericandream.com/archives/health-insurance-companies-say-that-they-plan-to-raise-premiums-significantly-because-of-the-new-health-care-reform-law ).

Have we done this to ourselves, due to our complacency of citizens running our government?

"Government, a necessary evil of a society": Thomas Payne (author of Common Sense)

"Government can become so big, a huge influence upon its people to become tyrannical. The best option is to give the government to We the People"". Consensus of delegates 1787 Constitutional Convention.

Personal bankruptcies in the U.S., 60% are directly due to medical bills. (See, The American Journal of Medicine). The same report indicates, out of those bankruptcies due to medical bills, 75% have health insurance. Are we, as a society, protecting infants? The answer is clearly NO!

Would you believe Americans are overcharged $10 Billion each year? As of 2009, this figure is true and worse in 2011.  Audits of medical billing reveals in 2009 that 90% contain gross overcharges. During the worst of the American Recession, health insurance companies increased their profits by 56% in 2009. The years between 2000 and 2006 U.S. worker wages grew only 3.8% while Health Care Premiums increased 87%. The five largest for-profit Health Insurance companies, employ top executives who received almost $200 million in compensation in 2009. The same for-profit Health Insurance companies have a combined profit of $12.2 Billion. More than two-dozen (24) pharmaceutical companies made over $1 Billion in profits in 2008 alone. Americans spend about twice as much in Health Insurance than other developed countries while receiving less quality and more drugs.

People are dying! Infants are dying! Where are our priorities? Yes, jobs, economy, housing, war, poison dust effects upon our military and those in Afghanistan/Iraq, environment, Corporate Personhood are all important topics. Compare them to us, as a society, not only allowing but encouraging dying infants!

Clearly, fourth President, and author of our Constitution, James Madison, and second President, and Founding Father, John Adams, were correct. Corporations are not people, rather the property of individuals and like all corporations must be regulated.

"History records that the money changers have used every form of abuse, intrigue, deceit, and violent means possible to maintain their control over governments by controlling money and its issuance." -- President James Madison

"There is an evil which ought to be guarded against in the indefinite accumulation of property from the capacity of holding it by...corporations. The power of all corporations ought to be limited in this respect. The growing wealth acquired by them never fails to be a source of abuses." ---James Madison 1817

Authors Website: http://www.abolishcorporatepersonhoodnow.org

Authors Bio:

Disability retired veteran condemned to a wheelchair still trying to make a difference from Tucson, AZ. A full-time local Union President 14 years, Arizona State President four years, Arizona elected Lobbyist to Washington D.C. four years. Involved in political elections local, state and one national election on internal campaign manager staff. Honest, ensuring all factual information is supported by up-to three credible sources.