The Russian government's conservative projections warn that by 2050, the country's population will shrink by 30 percent from 143.6 million to 101.3 million; its worst case scenario predicts that the population could drop to 77.2 million, a reduction of nearly 50 percent.

Babies in Russia are born smaller and more sickly today than in the past. Key statistics provide an alarming snapshot of Russia's looming infant health crisis:

Nearly two-thirds of all Russian babies are born unhealthy, and at least 75 percent require an extended hospital stay or intensive medical treatment;

Russia's official infant mortality rate remains 4 times higher than in Western Europe and North America, and Russia reports the second highest rate (behind Romania) of under age-5 child mortality in Europe;

The percentage of Russian babies born with a dangerously low body mass (less than 2.5 kg, or 4.4 lbs.) jumped nearly 6 percent from 77,500 in 1996 to 82,000 in 2000, due in large part to rising rates of tobacco and alcohol consumption among Russian women;

Ten percent of pregnant women in Russia lose their unborn children as a result of health problems, and nearly half of Russia's expectant mothers are malnourished.

Statistics presented by Center for Defense Information.

See also The Sick Man of Europe by American Enterprise Institute scholar Nicholas Eberstadt.