From: Bill Lucy 

In article , gaw{at}sover.net says...
> > All one needs to do is look at the overall statistics. The US has a
> > lower life expectancy at birth (75/80 male/female vs. 78/82), a higher
> > neo-natal mortality rate (5 per 1000 live births vs. 4 per 1000), a
> > higher maternal mortality rate (14 per 1000 vs. 5 per 1000).
> >
>
> We also have embedded within us the equivalent of a third-world country,
> especially the illegal (and even legal) immigrant population to skew the
> numbers.  Compare the stats in my state of Vermont with, say, Washington,
> D.C.

Okay, I checked Vermont's stats vs. the US stats. Neonatal mortality rates
were similar -- there are years where Vermont's rate exceeded the US rate,
and years where the state's rate was less. See here:

http://www.healthyvermonters.info/hs/stats/VSB2003/fig11a.htm

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