what is the leading cause of infant death in the united states
Infant mortality Premature birth is the biggest contributor to the IMR.[2] Other leading causes of infant mortality are birth asphyxia, pneumonia, term birth complications such as abnormal presentation of the foetus umbilical cord prolapse, or prolonged labor,[3] neonatal infection, diarrhea, malaria, measles and malnutrition.[4] One of the most common preventable causes of infant mortality is smoking during pregnancy.[5] Many factors contribute to infant mortality, such as the mother's level of education, environmental conditions, and political and medical infrastructure.[6] Improving sanitation, access to clean drinking water, immunization against infectious diseases, and other public health measures can help reduce high rates of infant mortality.
Unintended pregnancy The United States rate of unintended pregnancies is higher than the world average, and much higher than that in other industrialized nations.[51] Almost half (49%) of U.S. pregnancies are unintended, more than 3 million unintended pregnancies per year.[11][42]