State of South Dakota's child: 2004

South Dakota saw a 3% increase in births in 2003 with more than 11,000 newborns joining the state for the first time since 1992. This increase in births was only observed for American Indians and other minority populations, while the births of white babies decreased from the previous year. National trends are revealing a concerning increase in low birth weight (<2500 grams) newborns. South Dakota's rate of low birth weight has consistently been lower than that noted for the country but it is also increasing. Reflecting this national trend in low birth weight, was an increase in the country's 2002 infant mortality rate (7.0), the first increase over the previous year's rate noted in the past 44 years. South Dakota also noted a slight increase in its infant mortality rate in 2002 but it decreased to 6.6 in 2003. The state's 2003 neonatal mortality rate (<28 days of life) dropped to 3.2, but its post neonatal mortality rate slightly increased in 2003, accounted for by an increase in the rate of these deaths only among its white population.