That well-famed claim that the US has a higher infant mortality
rate than nations with socialised medicine? Not quite what it
seems: Q: If socialized medicine is so bad, why are infant
mortality rates higher in the U.S. than in other developed
nations with government or single-payer health care? A: U.S.
infant mortality rates (deaths of infants <1 year of age per
1,000 live births) are sometimes cited as evidence of the
failings of the U.S. system of health care delivery. Universal
health care, it’s argued, is why babies do better in countries
with socialized medicine. But in fact, the main factors
affecting early infant survival are birth weight and
prematurity. The way that these factors are reported — and how
such babies are treated statistically — tells a different story
than what the numbers reveal. Low birth weight infants are not
counted against the “live birth” statistics for many countries
reporting low infant mortality rates. According to the way
statistics are calculated in Canada, Germany, and Aus