RICHMOND, Va. — Gov. Tim Kaine is set to release new information on Virginia’s infant mortality rate.
RICHMOND, Va. — Gov. Tim Kaine is set to release new information on Virginia’s infant mortality rate. Kaine has set a target of reducing the state’s infant mortality rate to below 7 percent by 2010, which means that no more than seven of every 1,000 babies born in Virginia would die before their first birthday. Kaine will announce new numbers at a Capitol Square news conference Tuesday morning. In 2007, Virginia’s mortality rate stood at 7.7 percent, and premature births accounted for more than half of the 839 infant deaths. Infant mortality is especially pronounced in the African-American community, which has a rate twice the state average. In November, Virginia’s health commissioner created a working group to develop strategies to reach the governor’s goal. ______ Copyright 2009 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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