If we're serious about impacting infant health, we must confront these behavior-related problems. We must help young women avoid, and when necessary help them confront and overcome, harmful addictions. We also need to tell our teens and preteens, without hesitation or embarrassment, that the healthy and smart decision is to delay sexual activity until both father and mother are ready to commit to marriage and child-rearing. This piece of wisdom may be ancient, but it is not out-dated. We need to support one another, through our families and communities, toward healthful behavior choices and productive lives.
Infant mortality is recognized as a telltale of broader health status.
Those values are still strong in America. But they must be proclaimed, and supported, by individuals and government alike.