Infant deaths rise

MOSCOW (AP) - The infant death rate in Russia jumped in 1992 from 16.8 per 1,000 births to 17.1. The number of deaths declined during the 10-month period examined, but Russia's mortality rate rose because there were fewer overall births, said an expert in the President's office. Russia's death rate now exceeds its birth rate, reflecting a 30 per cent drop in births over the past four years. The authorities say an increasing number of couples have postponed having children because of economic difficulties.