Paul Krugman, the Princeton economist who writes for the New York Times, began his most recent column by noting, “The United States spends far more on health care per person than any other nation. Yet we have lower life expectancy than most other rich countries.” Today, the Associated Press has a story explaining what that means for the youngest and the most vulnerable.

Examining infant mortality statistics, the AP finds:

The United States ranks near the bottom for infant survival rates among modernized nations. A Save the Children report last year placed the United States ahead of only Latvia, and tied with Hungary, Malta, Poland and Slovakia.

The same report noted the United States had more neonatologists and newborn intensive care beds per person than Australia, Canada and the United Kingdom — but still had a higher rate of infant mortality than any of those nations.

Doctors and analysts blame broad disparities in access to health care among racial and income groups in the United States.

Among the consequences of those broad disparities, “Babies born to black mothers died at two and a half times the rate of those born to white mothers”.

In other news, Michael Moore’s documentary Sicko is now available on DVD. Moore covers the failures and all the grim Catch-22’s of the American healthcare system, and yet still somehow manages to make his film very entertaining.

Tags: Associated Press, income disparities, infant mortality, Michael Moore, new york times, Paul Krugman, racial disparities, Sicko