Teen suicide and child mortality rates have increased sharply since the 2016 report, according to the United Health Foundation’s 2019 America’s Health Rankings® Health of Women and Children Report. The Report finds the teen suicide rate and child mortality rate rising over the past three years.  Key national findings from this year’s Report include:

• The U.S. teen suicide rate increased 25 percent for adolescents ages 15-19 since the 2016 Report, rising from 8.4 to 10.5 deaths per 100,000 adolescents.

• The U.S. child mortality rate increased six percent for children ages 1-19 since the 2016 Report – an especially concerning trend after declines since 1980.

• The maternal mortality rate is highest among African American mothers at 63.8 deaths per 100,000 live births, 3.8-times higher than the lowest rate (among Asian/Pacific Islander mothers).

Here in Illinois, the state ranked 26th. The 2019 Health of Women and Children Report finds:

• In the past year, the percentage of infants exclusively breastfed for six months decreased 24 percent from 25.8 percent to 19.5 percent

• In the past year, HPV immunization among males ages 13-17 increased 20 percent from 43.2 percent to 51.8 percent

• In the past three years, teen suicide increased 49 percent from 6.3 to 9.4 deaths per 100,000 adolescents ages 15-19

• In the past three years, meningococcal immunization among children ages 13-17 increased 16 percent from 77.1 percent to 89.2 percent

For more information, visit www.unitedhealthgroup.com/SocialResponsibility