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Risk factors for early infant mortality in Sarlahi district, Nepal

Joanne Katz1, Keith P West, Subarna K Khatry

  • 1Division of Disease Prevention and Control, Center for Human Nutrition, Sight & Life Research Institute, Department of International Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA. jkatz@jhsph.edu

Bulletin of the World Health Organization
|February 6, 2004
PubMed

Insights

Identifying early infant mortality risk factors is crucial for intervention. Maternal factors like education and arm circumference, alongside prior pregnancy history, significantly impact infant survival rates.

Area of Science:

  • Global Health
  • Maternal and Child Health
  • Demography

Background:

  • Early infant mortality rates remain a significant public health challenge in many regions.
  • Declining child mortality has not been matched by similar declines in early infant mortality, necessitating targeted research.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To identify specific risk factors associated with early infant mortality.
  • To inform the development of effective intervention strategies to reduce infant deaths.

Main Methods:

  • A longitudinal study followed 15,469 live-born singleton infants in rural Nepal from birth to 24 weeks of age (1994-1997).
  • Mortality risk was analyzed for three distinct periods: 0-7 days, 8-28 days, and 4-24 weeks post-birth.

Main Results:

  • Maternal and paternal education were linked to reduced mortality between 4-24 weeks.
  • Previous miscarriage predicted first-week mortality, while prior child deaths increased post-neonatal mortality risk.
  • Larger maternal mid-upper arm circumference reduced first-week mortality; maternal tetanus vaccination and third-trimester illness were associated with neonatal mortality. Maternal mortality strongly predicted infant mortality across all periods.

Conclusions:

  • Risk factors for early infant mortality are age-dependent.
  • Intervention strategies should focus on improving maternal health, reducing maternal morbidity and mortality, and increasing maternal mid-upper arm circumference during pregnancy.
Abstract

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