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 |
| 21.2 percent of women receive initial prenatal
care later than the first trimester |
39 |
| 89.4 percent of women abstain from cigarette
smoking during the last three months of pregnancy |
13 |
| 9.0 percent of babies are born with a low birth
weight (less than 5 pounds, 9 ounces) |
39 |
| Infant mortality rate (6.2
infant deaths per 1,000 live births) |
17 |
| 80.3 percent of preschool-age children received
all recommended doses of five key vaccines |
28 |
Average Rank |
27.3 |
Average
Grade |
C- |
|
