Infant mortality in Sweden and Finland: implications for the United States.

Sweden had the lowest reported infant mortality rate (IMR) among countries of the world from 1920 until 1980. Since 1981, Sweden, Japan, and Finland have shared this number one ranking on a somewhat rotating basis. The United States ranks 18th. In 1985, the reported IMRs in Japan, Sweden, and Finland were 5.5, 6.8, and 6.3, respectively, while that of the United States was 10.6 per 1000 live births. This article presents detailed data on IMR in Sweden, Finland, and the United States. It also includes data on neonatal mortality, postneonatal mortality, age of death, and incidence of low birth-weight in the three countries. The paper briefly describes background information on maternal and infant care in Sweden and Finland, including prenatal care, labor and delivery, sex education, family planning, abortion, infant care, and social benefits in Sweden and Finland. The paper gives possible reasons for the achievement of the low IMR in Sweden and Finland, and considers the implications for the United States.