Kids Count figures are mixed

Report finds improvement in Michigan, but child death, abuse numbers up.

Oralandar Brand-Williams / The Detroit News

LANSING -- A greater percentage of Michigan's children are born underweight or dying at birth, according to the 2007 Kids Count in Michigan report to be released today.

The report found more children abused and neglected and that black children lag whites in most of the 18 health indicators, adding to the state's risk of failing to achieve many national health improvement goals by 2010.

There was some good news: Fewer Michigan teens reported binge drinking or smoking, and teen pregnancy rates dropped.

More needs to be done to meet the goals, said Michele Corey, community advocacy director at Michigan's Children, a partner in the project that issued the report. "There are abuse and neglect programs that really need to be beefed up," she said. "They also need to be bolstered in a much more targeted and significant way."

The report found an estimated 1,000 Michigan infants died before reaching their first birthday in 2005. That rate was virtually unchanged between 2000 and 2005. For the 2006 fiscal year, 28,840 children were found to be victims of abuse or neglect, according to the report. Between 2000 and 2006, the rate of child abuse increased 10 percent, from 10.4 to 11.4 per 1,000 children from birth to age 17.

The report examines 18 health goals for children and teens in the state's 83 counties and the city of Detroit. The standards are set by the Healthy People 2010, a national initiative aimed at achieving goals of health and well-being.

Corey said a lack of money for prevention programs is part of the problem.

"We have seen some disinvestments at the state levels," said Corey. "We try as much as we can to protect them, but we have seen a decline in those programs in 2000."

The report also showed 12 percent of Michigan high schoolers as overweight, up from 11 percent in 2001, and that the state's youths are exercising too little.

Michigan did show improvement on 14 of the 18 indicators between 2000 and 2005.

Among the improvements was the drop in binge drinking and in smoking among Michigan teens. Both showed a 25 percent decline.

The state's teen pregnancy rate is also declining. In 2005, it was 28 per 1,000 teens (ages 15-17).

The figures were well below the Healthy People 2010 target of 43 per 1,000.

The report also indicates that more Michigan toddlers are being immunized. The report found the rate for immunization among young children in Michigan reached the HP 2010 target rate of 80 percent by 2002.

But racial disparities still exist. African-American and Hispanic children are three times more likely to live in poverty than white children.

"The news isn't so good for children of color," said Corey. "We just need to acknowledge that and figure out some strategies that will really work for these populations."

The 200-page report also concluded that lead poisoning continues to plague some of Michigan's children.

The state ranks sixth in the nation for the number of children identified as having lead poisoning.

The percentage of children ages 1-6 tested for lead rose dramatically between 1998 to 2000 and 2003-05, from 7 percent to 12 percent.

You can reach Oralandar Brand-Williams at (313) 222-2027 or bwilliams@detnews.com