Where U.S. Childhood Is Most And Least Protected

Millions of children across the U.S. are missing out on a safe and secure childhood according to a new report by Save The Children. It found that location very much determines destiny for America's kids and it focused on four factors that end childhood: malnutrition, poor education, teenage pregnancy and early death due to ill health, accident, murder or suicide.

Across the country, over 11 million children lived in households with food insecurity while 180,000 babies were born to girls aged between 15 aqnd 19. Additionally, 21,467 babies died before their first birthday during the same year while 5,700 children died or committed suicide. The extent to which these events occur is heavily dependent on location.

At state level, children in New Jersey, Massachusetts and New Hampshire are far more likely to experience safe and healthy childhoods than children in Louisiana, Mississippi and New Mexico. Mississippi is notable as having the highest rate of children dying before their first birthday at 8.5 deaths per 1,000 live births (higher than the national average of 5.6), and Arkansas has the highest rate of food insecurity for children at 24.1 percent along with the highest teen birth rate which is nearly twice the national average.