Dramatic statistics reveal Detroit's heartbreaking failure to protect its children. Our city has the worst ranking in America for seeing its children survive to age 18.

Children in the city die too often due to infant mortality and violence. That's the stark conclusion of an exhaustive study by Detroit News reporter Karen Bouffard, and it's unacceptable.

Of course, we've used that word before in describing conditions in Detroit. Poor student performance is unacceptable. Blight is unacceptable. Rampant crime is unacceptable. Financial collapse is unacceptable. And yet too often we continue to accept the unacceptable without rallying to action.

Here's the hard truth: Children from birth through age 18 died at a rate of 120 per 100,000 in 2010. The next highest rate was in Philadelphia, at around 96 deaths per 100,000.

Detroit's rate of infant mortality - 13.5 deaths for every 1,000 live births - ranks it highest among U.S. cities and even higher than some third-world countries.

Premature births are one of the leading causes of infant death and development problems.

And teen pregnancy and single parenthood are among the leading causes of prematurity. Some 80 percent of Detroit mothers are unmarried, compared with 32 percent of white Michigan mothers.

Detroit also leads the country with the number of teen births.

Too many Detroit young people aren't graduating from high school, which leads to poverty, crime, and teen and single mothers. And then the cycle starts all over.

In addition to the health risk, children also face a real threat from gun violence.

In 2010, 32 children died from violence in Detroit. Reports of another innocent child becoming the victim of a shooting have become all too common.

A coincidence? I think not.

the unions ran off the auto-plants there, so what did anyone expect?
a city of over 1.8 million(1950) now at 700,000...

I agree. The collapse of the auto industry hit a lot of miswestern cities hard, but Detroit in particular. To add insult to injury I believe there was some pretty big embezzlement scandals at the local gov't level. Who knows if the city coffers will ever get that money back.

the collapse was brought on by unions and bad management, sad thing was barry paid them to move to Mexico with his bail out...

Gubament Motors bailout, AKA, TAXPAYER MONEY, is helping them move operations to Mexico.

who doesn't love NAFTA? but was that Obarassment or bush?

i think bush set up the bankers bailout, the auto bailout was barrys idea... not real sure, and to lazy to look it up...

Iffin you're too lazy to look it up then just blame Obarassment.

I like that, Obarassment

easier just to blame barry now... if someone really wants to know, they'll look it up...

well ya, he cooked up the auto bailout but nafta predated all of that I think....righto....will look it up pronto (NOT) I don;t care enough any more to look it up TBH

I have other things that I need to be doing...

yea, talking with me...

who doesn't love NAFTA? but was that Obarassment or bush?

yes and as GM posts new profits we are waiting for them to pay us back....

coincidence that they are both cities?

number one at what?

Detroit, MI is the most liberal city in the USA and has been controlled by the Democratic Party for as long as I remember.