Kentucky is one of the worst states for child well-being, according to a recent study.

Kids Count, a national child health study, ranked Kentucky 40th in the nation in terms of the overall health of its children. The annual study is performed by the Annie E. Casey Foundation, an organization that serves underprivileged American children.

The study measures the educational, social, economic and physical well-being of children. While Kentucky improved in four categories, the percentages of low birth weight babies, children in poverty and children in

single-parent families have increased over the past 10 years, according to the study.

“The long-term pattern for the commonwealth is one where our kids are not as well as the rest of the country,” said Terry Brooks, executive director of Kentucky Youth Advocates.

Kentucky has participated in the study for the past 20 years, and while its rankings have not been good, about 80 percent of its ratings in each category have steadily improved. Still, Kentucky ranked in the mid- to low 30s in the late 1990s and 2000 - a higher spot than its current ranking, Brooks said.

One factor that hurt Kentucky’s most recent rating is low birth weights. Since 2000, the percentage of babies with low birth weights in Kentucky has increased from 8.2 percent to 9.3 percent.

“That’s something that we’re really concerned about,” said Diane Sprowl, community health improvement branch manager for the Barren River District Health Department. “It’s a whole focus area for us.”

In Kentucky, 102 babies are born with low birth weights each week, 18 are born with very low birth weights and 169 are born pre-term each week, Sprowl said.

Low birth weights can lead to respiratory problems and malnutrition and dehydration due to difficulty feeding. The child is more likely to develop vision and behavior problems, as well as learning disabilities and other mental problems. Low birth weights are also linked to obesity and diabetes, Sprowl said.

Women who smoke during pregnancy are more at risk to deliver a low-weight baby, and Kentucky has one of the highest rates of women who smoke during pregnancy. About 30.5 percent of Kentucky women who are of child-bearing age smoke, Sprowl said.

“We’re in a state that has traditionally been a tobacco-producing state,” she said, “and we just have a higher rate of smoking overall.”

Obesity can also lead to low birth weights because obese women are more prone to complications that require early delivery. To prevent low birth weights, women should get regular care before becoming pregnant and early prenatal care. They should also take multivitamins, stop smoking, practice healthy eating habits and get regular physical activity, Sprowl said.

In addition to birthing issues, the economic health of children is also low on the list. Kentucky ranks 48th in the nation in the number of homes where neither parent has a full-time job. About 33 percent of children reside in homes where parents don’t have full-time, year-round employment.

“It does not mean folks are sitting around at home,” Brooks said. “It probably means mom or dad have two or three part-time jobs. But what does that mean in terms of child care and family life?”

Children who grow up in those situations often lack proper health benefits and other amenities they need. Kentucky’s child poverty rate is alarming, he said.

“If economic indicators are on a decline in a significant way, which Kentucky’s are, then we better be worried because other indicators are going to fall as well,” Brooks said.

Brooks said leaders can help improve that statistic by offering a state earned income tax credit. Under the federal earned income tax credit, low-income families get an automatic tax rebate.

He said it’s one of the most effective anti-poverty acts in the United States and, if Kentucky implemented a similar policy, it “would put real money in low-income people’s pockets.”

Officials should also buckle down on financial predators - such as some payday lenders, he said.

Also, Kentucky is one of the few states that require a premium to participate in the public children’s health program. The Kentucky Children’s Health Insurance Program offers low-cost health insurance to children under the age of 19 who come from low-income families.

“Requiring that premium actually costs the state money because it causes administrative overhead. It discourages parents from seeking preventive care, and I know it costs families real bucks,” Brooks said.

Removing the premium will save the state and families money, and will allow more children to have health coverage, he said.

“So it’s a win-win-win,” Brooks said.

But the state has made some improvements. For example, five years ago, teen mortality rates were quickly rising in Kentucky. The leading cause of death among teenagers is automobile crashes, so state officials adopted a graduated driver’s license that placed tighter regulations on young drivers.

Kentucky’s teen death rate has dropped 10 percent over the past decade, according to the study.

“One lesson we take away from this year’s data is when the government and the General Assembly make smart policy decisions, there’s an impact,” Brooks said. “We have fewer kids dying today than we did five years ago, and that’s because the state government passed a proactive piece of legislation.”