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[Mortality from tetanus in children less than 1 year of age, Mexico, 1970-1982]
Insights
Tetanus mortality in Mexican infants under one year decreased from 1970-1982, with most deaths in neonates. The disease predominantly affected coastal regions and males.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Epidemiology
- Public Health
Background:
- Tetanus poses a significant risk to infants, particularly in developing countries.
- Understanding mortality trends and geographic distribution is crucial for targeted interventions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze tetanus mortality trends in Mexican children under one year of age between 1970 and 1982.
- To investigate the geographic distribution and sex-based differentials of tetanus mortality.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of mortality data for children under one year in Mexico (1970-1982).
- Subdivision of the under-one-year age group into perinatal, neonatal, and postneonatal categories.
- Geographic and sex-based analysis of tetanus-related deaths.
Main Results:
- Overall tetanus mortality in infants showed a decreasing trend, accelerating after 1979 due to coding changes.
- The neonatal period (under 29 days) accounted for the highest proportion of tetanus deaths.
- Tetanus incidence was concentrated in coastal states, shifting from the Pacific to the Gulf of Mexico.
- Male infants exhibited higher mortality rates across all studied age groups.
Conclusions:
- Despite a decreasing trend, tetanus remains a concern for Mexican infants, especially neonates.
- Geographic patterns indicate specific regional vulnerabilities and disease migration.
- The higher mortality in males warrants further investigation into potential biological or environmental factors.
Abstract:
The results of a study about mortality by tetanus in Mexican children under one year of age, during the 1970-1982 period, are reported. This age-group was subdivided in three, as follows: perinatal (less than 7 days), neonatal (less than 29 days) and postneonatal (29 to 364 days). Mortality by tetanus in children under one year of age showed a decreasing trend during the mentioned period, and this was most pronounced from 1979, because of changes in the codification of mortality by tetanus in this group of age. On the other hand, it was found that the greatest proportion of deaths by tetanus happened in the under one year of age group, and particularly in the neonatal group (less than 29 days). The geographic distribution of tetanus in Mexico was studied later, and showed a predominant incidence of the disease in coastal states of the country; an additional finding in this investigation was the displacement of the disease from the Pacific strip to the Gulf of Mexico. Finally, the mortality differentials by sex were studied, and showed that males were the most affected in the three age groups. We cannot explain this finding at the time.