Infant Mortality

In Health Care? Ask Cuba, Nicholas Kristof writes,

China's dictators have managed to drive down the infant mortality rate in Beijing to 4.6 per thousand; in contrast, New York City's rate is 6.5.

But the national average for China's infant mortality rate is:

• total: 25.28 deaths/1,000 live births
• male: 21.84 deaths/1,000 live births
• female: 29.14 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)

And compare the US infant mortality rate:

• total: 6.63 deaths/1,000 live births
• male: 7.31 deaths/1,000 live births
• female: 5.91 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)

While the US infant mortality rate is appallingly high, China's rural infant mortality rate is much worse than the urban rate, and even worse for female infants. I imagine it's partly intentional female infanticide, but also intentional or unintentional neglect of what are for the Chinese less desirable children.