This sixth annual report card is produced to heighten awareness of the health of the children of North Carolina by summarizing important child health indicators. The report is intended to assist health administrators, legislators, and family advocates in their efforts to improve the health and safety of children statewide. Data are presented for the most current year available and a comparative year (usually 1994) as a benchmark. The following indicators are used: (1) child fatality; (2) deaths due to injury (motor vehicle-related, drowning, fire/burns, bicycle, suicide, homicide, and firearm); (3) alcohol, tobacco, and substance abuse (cigarettes, smokeless tobacco, marijuana, alcohol, and cocaine); (4) physical fitness; (5) obesity in low-income children; (6) teen pregnancy; (7) insurance coverage (Health Choice enrollment, Medicaid enrollment, and uninsured); (8) Medicaid preventive care; (9) infant mortality; (10) low birthweight infants; (11) prenatal care; (12) immunization rates; and (13) communicable diseases (congenital syphilis, AIDS, and tuberculosis). The report notes that most indicators showed progress during the late 1990s, with some at their best levels ever recorded: infant and child death rates, uninsured rates, teen pregnancy rate, immunization rate, the percent of young children screened for lead poisoning, and the number of young children receiving early intervention services. Other indicators, including child abuse and neglect, asthma, obesity in low-income children, and the use of alcohol, tobacco, and illegal substances, remain extremely worrisome. Grades are assigned for each indicator based either on the percentage change in an indicator's current data in relation to the same indicator in a prior year, or on a general consensus among the sponsoring organizations. The report concludes with data notes and definitions. (KB)