Texas has the second-highest birth rate in the nation and more than 25 percent of those children live in poverty.
That's according to the annual Kids Count survey released Thursday.
The number of children in Texas rose by nearly 1 million between 2000 and 2010, and accounted for more than half of the U.S. child population growth.
But 39 percent of Texas mothers received no, or very late, prenatal care and the percentage of babies born underweight jumped 13 percent.
The study is conducted every year by the Austin-based Center for Public Policy Priorities. The nonprofit and nonpartisan organizations advocate for solutions to poverty.
The study also reported that children without health insurance dropped from 20.8 percent in 2006 to 16.9 percent in 2009. High school drop-outs are also down.
