READ THE PASSAGE AND ANSWER THE QUESTIONS THAT FOLLOW.
Though the U.S. prides itself on being a
leader in the world community, a recent
report shows that it lags far behind other
industrialised countries in meeting the needs
of its youngest and most vulnerable citizens.
The U.S. has a higher infant mortality-rate,
a higher proportion of low birth-weight
babies, a smaller proportion of babies
immunised against childhood diseases and a
much higher rate of adolescent pregnancies.
These findings, described as a 'quiet
crisis' requires immediate and far-reaching
action. Research shows that a fourth of the
nation's 12 million infants and toddlers
live in poverty. As many as half confront
risk factors that could harm their ability
to develop intellectually, physically and
socially. Child immunisations are too low,
more children are born into poverty, more
are in substandard care while their parents
work and more are being raised by single
parents. When taken together, these and
other risk factors can lead to educational
and health problems that are much harder
and more costly to reverse.
The crisis begins in the womb with
unplanned parenthood. Women with
unplanned pregnancies are less likely to seek
pre-natal care. In the U.S. 80% of teenage
pregnancies and 56% of all pregnancies
are unplanned. The problems continue
after birth where unplanned pregnancies
and unstable partnerships often go hand
in hand. Since 1950, the number of single
parent families has nearly tripled. More
than 25 percent of all births today are to
unmarried mothers. As the number of single
parent families grow and more women
enter the work force, infants and toddlers
are increasingly in the care of people other
than their parents.
Most disturbingly, recent statistics show
that American parents are increasingly
neglecting or abusing their children. Babies
under the age of one are the fastest growing
category of children entering foster care.
The crisis affects children under the age
of three most severely, the report says.
Yet, it is this period-from infancy through
pre-school years-that sets the stage for a
child's future.
The 'Quiet Crisis' severely affects the children
belonging to the age group ___________.
A between one and three years
B between two and three years
C below one year
D below three years
the answer wasn't given clearly in passage.