The Health of W.Va.'s Children

The Mountain State continues to struggle with providing for the health of its children, though some areas show improvement, according to the latest installment of an annual study.

"Researchers with the 2007 Kids Count data book rank West Virginia 44th among the 50 states when weighing several factors that contribute to a child’s well-being," The Charleston Gazette reports. "The state ranked 38th last year."

The report tracks an increase in high school dropouts and low birth-weight babies in the state, the article said. But "the state improved slightly in three of 10 indicators, as defined by researchers: the child death rate, the teen birth rate and the percentage of children living in families where no parent has full-time, year-round employment."

Update: West Virginia Media also has a story on the latest report.