from Associated Press - September 13, 2010 6:05 PM ET
"MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) - A state official says progress is being made in curtailing infant mortality in Tennessee.
Dr. Michael Warren, medical director of the Governor's Office of Children's Care Coordination, says in 2008, 47 fewer babies died before they turned 1 year old than in 2006.
Also, the state improved from 47th in the nation to 44th in infant mortality deaths, with the rate falling from 8.7 per 1,000 live births in 2006 to 8 in 2008.
Warren and other officials at the Stay the Course Summit in Memphis credited several new programs that educate pregnant mothers about steps they can take to have healthy pregnancies and provide quality prenatal care.
Shelby County, which includes Memphis, has the state's highest number of infant deaths.
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