Using linked birth and infant death files for program planning and evaluation: NIMS workshop lessons

Health planners should base program decisions on the best information available. Combining information from different sources can be valuable in identifying problems--the essential first step in program planning. To facilitate this process, a workshop was conducted during the National Infant Mortality Surveillance Conference in Atlanta, GA. Maternal and child health directors explored the use of linked birth and infant death data for program planning and evaluation. Linked birth and infant death certificate files permit evaluation of infant mortality by birth weight and other infant and maternal characteristics, thus providing more detailed information than birth or death certificates alone. An assessment of the birth weight distribution of live births, birth weight specific-mortality risks, distribution of deaths by birth weight, and birth weight-specific causes of death can help identify problems in the childbearing population and with the delivery of health services. Once the infant health problems are defined clearly, the selection and delivery of services can be better targeted and evaluated for the reduction of these problems.