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More Nevada teens are staying in school and fewer teen girls are getting pregnant, according to a study released today.

But despite the improvements, the annual Kids Count Data Book still paints a grim picture of life for Nevada's teens, with the state ranking among the worst in the nation in rates of teen births, deaths and high school dropouts.

And 46 percent more Nevada children were living in poverty in 2004 than in 2000, while the national number increased by only 6 percent.

The annual data book, published by the Annie E. Casey Foundation, surveys 10 measures that reflect the well-being of children. It looked at statistics from 2000 to 2003, or 2004 where available.

Nevada ranked 36th overall, down from 32nd in last year's survey.

The measures include rates of infant mortality, child death, and of children living in single-parent families, all of which showed improvement in Nevada.

Also included are numbers of low birth-weight babies, children living in poverty and teen deaths, all of which grew, or worsened, locally.

"Generally, we do fairly well when it comes to little children and infants, but we do worse on teen issues" than the nation as a whole, said Dr. Keith Schwer, director of the Center for Business and Economic Research at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, and a spokesman for the study.

Schwer said Nevada's 2003 teen death rate of 87 deaths per 100,000 teens, 16 percent higher than 2000's numbers, probably had to do with "youth risk-taking," including drug use and bad driving habits. The nation's teen death rate, in contrast, decreased slightly.

"Remember, Nevada is a very urban state," Schwer said. "You've got (a large percentage) of the state's population in Las Vegas and Reno. If you're living in the middle of Kansas learning to drive, it's a heck of a lot easier than in a major urban area."

The percentage of Nevada teens dropping out of school fell significantly, and the teen birth rate of 53 births per 1,000 teens was a 16 percent improvement over 2000's numbers. Both trends are mirrored nationally.

Schwer was "hard-pressed" to explain why Nevada's percentage of children living in poverty increased from 13 percent to 19 percent between 2000 and 2004, but said it may have to do with growth and an economic recession.

"The economy went into recession in 2001 and 2002," he said. "There's some data to suggest the gaming-based sector of the economy didn't recover as quickly as it usually does."

But Schwer said he "wouldn't make a big deal" out of the increase because things have recently "improved significantly."

"It may be we've got a cyclical movement there," he said, adding that historically Nevada has fewer children living in poverty than most states.

Nevada fell from 12th place in 2000 to 30th place in 2004 in the state ranking for children living in poverty.

The state's infant mortality rate improved 12 percent, while the nation's stayed the same, according to the study.

And Nevada's number of low birth-weight babies increased from 7.2 percent to 8.1 percent between 2000 and 2003. That's a 13 percent increase, compared to the nation's 4 percent rise.

Cynthia Huth, a perinatal nurse consultant with the Nevada State Health Division's Bureau of Family Health Services, said the increase in low birth-weight babies can be attributed to a range of factors, from a surge in methamphetamine drug use to periodontal disease among mothers.

But, she said, "our most difficult problem in Nevada is fetal alcohol spectrum disorders."

"Meth seems to be the most commonly used drug by pregnant women, and alcohol is right behind it," she said. "But we have far more proof that alcohol has more damaging effects. With alcohol, we can immediately see that a baby has been severely exposed to it in utero."

Methamphetamine's effects are more subtle.

"There are going to be developmental delays and possible behavior problems later in childhood," Huth said.