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Infant mortality in Pelotas, Brazil: a comparison of risk factors in two birth cohorts

Ana Maria Baptista Menezes1, Pedro Curi Hallal, Iná Silva dos Santos

  • 1Post-Graduate Program in Epidemiology, Federal University of Pelotas, Brazil. anamene@terra.com.br

Revista Panamericana De Salud Publica = Pan American Journal of Public Health
|March 16, 2006
PubMed

Insights

Infant mortality in Pelotas, Brazil, significantly decreased by 41% between 1982 and 1993. This decline in infant mortality was primarily attributed to improved healthcare, not changes in studied risk factors.

Area of Science:

  • Public Health
  • Epidemiology
  • Demography

Background:

  • Infant mortality rates (IMR) are key indicators of population health and healthcare system effectiveness.
  • Understanding trends in IMR and associated risk factors is crucial for targeted public health interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To compare infant mortality rates and risk factor distributions between two birth cohorts (1982 and 1993) in Pelotas, Brazil.
  • To assess changes in these factors over an 11-year period.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of two population-based prospective birth cohorts from Pelotas, Southern Brazil (1982 and 1993).
  • Inclusion of all hospital births (>99% of total).
  • Infant mortality surveillance through maternity hospitals, mortality registries, and cemeteries.

Main Results:

  • Infant mortality rate decreased by 41%, from 36.0 to 21.1 per 1,000 live births.
  • While socioeconomic factors improved, birthweight and gestational age showed unfavorable changes.
  • Poverty, high parity, low birthweight, preterm delivery, and intrauterine growth restriction remained key risk factors.

Conclusions:

  • Significant reductions in infant mortality were observed.
  • The decline was not primarily driven by changes in the studied risk factors.
  • Improvements in healthcare quality are likely the main driver of reduced infant mortality, especially given persistent social inequalities.
Abstract

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