American Life Span Edges Longer

Life expectancy in the United States has hit another high, rising above 78 years. The estimate of 78 years 2 months is for a baby born in 2009, and comes from a preliminary report released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Experts do not believe there is one simple explanation for the increase, but better medical treatment, vaccination campaigns and public health measures against smoking are believed to be having an impact. The infant mortality rate hit a record low of 6.42 deaths per 1,000 live births, a drop of nearly 3 percent from 2008. Male life expectancy is roughly 75.5; for females, it is about 80.5.