Babies/kids/teens

Birth defects affect 1 in 33 babies. Having a child with a birth defect impacts the whole family. Parents of children who have birth defects face unique challenges and desire to make life better for their kids. They also want to help to prevent birth defects in the future. Some of the challenges parents face involve communication with healthcare professionals, quality of life issues, creating awareness and advocating for research and funding, finding resources and support, and helping teens transition to appropriate, specialized adult care...

Using data from the 1999 KIDS COUNT Data Book, compiled and published by The Annie E. Casey Foundation, the most recent state figures (1996) are compared with corresponding data from 1985 to assess the trends in child well-being in each state during the decade. The 10 key indicators used to rank states are taken fro federal government statistical agencies and reflect the best data available for each of the measures. Between 1985 and 1996, child well-being improved across the country in seven of the indicators (infant mortality rate; child death rate; rate of teen death by accidents, homicide and suicide; percent of teens who are high school dropouts; percent of teens not attending school and not working; percent of children living with parents who do not have full-time, year-round employment; and percent of children living in poverty)...

Using data from the 1988 KIDS COUNT Data Book, compiled and published by The Annie E. Casey Foundation, the most recent state figures (1995) are compared with corresponding data from 1985 to assess the trends in child well-being in each state during the decade. The 10 key indicators used are taken from governmental data sources and reflect the best data available for each of the measures. Between 1985 and 1995, child well-being worsened across the country in five of the indicators, i.e., percent of low birthweight babies; rate of teen deaths by accident, homicide and suicide; teen birth rate; Juvenile Violent Crime Arrest Rate; and percent of families with children headed by a single parent...