Healthy Beginnings Introduction
Every child deserves a healthy start. Delayed prenatal care, and smoking while pregnant are among the factors that contribute to low birth weight and to babies who die in the first year of life. As children grow, the best way to protect them against disease is to see to it they receive all the recommended childhood vaccinations. Colorado does poorly, compared to other states, in all these areas, thus earning a grade of C-. Policymakers, health care providers and families can all do better in ensuring that all of our children have a healthy beginning.
| Healthy Beginnings: Health Indicators and Rank Among States |
Health Indicator |
Rank
among states |
| 19.5 percent of women receive initial prenatal care later than the first trimester |
41
|
| 89.4 percent of women abstain from cigarette smoking during the last three months of pregnancy |
13 |
| 9.2 percent of babies are born with a low birth weight (less than 5 pounds, 9 ounces) |
41 |
| Infant mortality rate (6.4 infant deaths per 1,000 live births) |
18 |
| 79.2 percent of preschool-age children received all recommended doses of five key vaccines |
36 |
Average Rank |
30 |
Average Grade |
C- |