Submitted by CARPE DIEM

Globe and Mail (Canada’s “Newspaper of record”)–More than 100 Canadian women with high-risk pregnancies have been sent to United States hospitals over the past year – in what a doctors’ group attributes to the lack of a national birthing plan.

The problem has peaked, with British Columbia and Ontario each sending a record number of women to U.S. neonatal intensive care units (NICUs). Specifically, 80 B.C. women have been sent to U.S. hospitals since April 1, 2007 (about 1 every 5 days); in Ontario, 28 have been sent since January of 2007, according to figures from the respective health ministries.

Canada, once able to boast about its high rank in the world for low infant-mortality rate – sixth place in 1990 – saw its rank plummet to 25th place in 2005, according to figures published this year by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development. Specifically, Canada’s infant mortality rate of 5.4 deaths per 1,000 live births is tied with Estonia’s and more than double Sweden’s rate of 2.4.

Via NCPA.

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