Final answer:
African Americans face the highest rates of infant death, preterm delivery, and low birth weight in the United States. These disparities are influenced by systemic racism, socioeconomic factors, and access to healthcare. International comparisons like Cuba's lower IMR highlight the importance of healthcare accessibility regardless of a country's wealth.
Step-by-step explanation:
The racial group that experiences the highest rates of infant death, preterm delivery, and low birth weight in the United States is the African American population. This issue is multifaceted, involving socioeconomic factors, access to quality healthcare, and historical precedents. The demographic disparities are stark, with African Americans having a significantly higher infant mortality rate and pregnancy-related mortality ratio compared to Caucasians. This discrepancy is deeply rooted in systemic and structural racism that affects healthcare outcomes. According to research, African American infants face more significant health risks from the moment they are born, with over half being severely underweight due to poor maternal treatment and nutrition.
These health disparities are not uniform across the country and are influenced by factors such as poverty, ethnicity, and the local political climate. For example, states with a high number of poor, minority, and politically conservative voters, like Mississippi and Alabama, tend to have higher infant mortality rates compared to states like Vermont. Nevertheless, this is not an issue confined to one racial group or country. Worldwide, wealth disparity and healthcare access play crucial roles in infant mortality rates, as evidenced by countries like Cuba, with a mixed demographic profile and a commitment to accessible healthcare, having lower IMR than the United States.