Why Are Our Babies Dying?

Lane takes the reader on a journey from risk factor to statistic to personal experience to policy and back again. ... Students practicing in various disciplines and those who hold interests in multiple aspects of research and practice would benefit from reading this book. Lane's work cannot be easily categorized; it is case study, ethnography, policy analysis, and qualitative research-all cogently assembled into a very readable book. -Health & Social Work This pathbreaking study explains why more infants die in America than in many third-world countries. Malnutrition, lead poisoning, violence, drugs, incarceration, HIV, and poverty wrack many postindustrial U.S. cities, leaving tiny victims in their wake. Lane artfully weaves together public health statistics, qualitative research, and policy critique to examine why deep-seated racism and discrimination lead to infant death. Yet, the book leaves room for hope, and should be required reading for all those working to end health disparities in the U.S. -Marcia C. Inhorn, University of Michigan Why are our babies dying? The short answer, according to Sandy Lane, is structural violence, the societal exclusion of vulnerable citizens. This bold and unique book takes an unflinching look at the story of Syracuse to help us understand how and why this is the case. A must-read for anyone concerned with babies, cities, justice, and the future of America. -Mindy Thompson Fullilove, Columbia University