State's health numbers for children improve

OKLAHOMA CITY -- Oklahoma became a healthier place for children during the 1990s, but poverty and high-risk behaviors continue to lead to major problems for young people in the state, a new study shows.

Oklahoma ranked 37th out of 50 states for child well-being as judged by 10 measures in the annual Kids Count report, released Tuesday by the Annie E. Casey Foundation, a private research and grant-making concern that focuses on children. On seven of 10 measures, the state numbers improved between 1990 and 1998.

New Hampshire had the best ranking and Mississippi was No. 50.

"Overall I feel that the report shows that we have considerable work to do in the state of Oklahoma in addressing the health problems of our children," said Dr. Edd Rhoades, interim deputy commissioner of Family Health Services in the Oklahoma State Department of Health. "I'm not satisfied with the rankings that we as a state show at the present time and will not be satisfied until we are ranked as one of the top 10 or 20 states in the country in these categories."

Oklahoma ranked 44th out of the 50 states for its child death rate of 32 per 100,000 children ages 1 to 14 in 1998. This compares to 36 per 100,000 in 1990.

Rhoades said many of these children died in traffic accidents. Firearms and drownings were also to blame for some of the deaths.

He said that Oklahoma could improve its statistics in this area if more people avoided risky behavior such as speeding and not wearing seatbelts.

Oklahoma ranked:

* No. 41 for its 24 percent poverty rate for children.

* No. 39 for its infant mortality rate of 8.5 deaths per 1,000 births.

* No. 38 for its rate of 35 births for 1,000 girls ages 15 to 17.

* No. 36 for its rate of 69 accident, homicide or suicide deaths per 100,000 people ages 15 to 19.

Rhoades attributed the poverty rate to the general state of the Oklahoma economy and said the infant mortality rate could be improved if more expectant mothers received good prenatal care and avoided tobacco and alcohol.

Alex Greenwood, a member of the board of directors for the Oklahoma Institute for Child Advocacy, said improved health care for poor people is needed.

"If you look at how much we spend on health care, it's a small amount, a scandalously small amount of money," he said. "A lot of kids fall through the cracks, unfortunately."

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