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Causes of infant and early childhood deaths in Sierra Leone
Insights
Infant and early childhood mortality in Sierra Leone is primarily caused by tetanus, fevers, measles, and diarrhea. Improving childbirth practices and child nutrition can significantly reduce these deaths.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Public Health
- Epidemiology
Background:
- Infant and early childhood mortality rates remain a significant public health concern in Sierra Leone.
- Understanding the primary causes of death is crucial for developing effective intervention strategies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify and analyze the leading causes of infant and early childhood mortality in Sierra Leone.
- To investigate the contributing factors, including childbirth practices and nutritional status, associated with these deaths.
Main Methods:
- Data compiled from vital registration systems, hospital records, and demographic sample surveys.
- Analysis of certified deaths to determine the causes of mortality in neonatal, infancy, and early childhood periods.
- Correlation of mortality causes with childbirth practices and child nutritional status.
Main Results:
- Tetanus is a major cause of neonatal mortality (68% of neonatal deaths).
- Measles and diarrhea are leading causes of death in late infancy and early childhood, accounting for up to 40% of early childhood deaths.
- Poor nutritional status and unhygienic childbirth practices are significant contributing factors.
Conclusions:
- Effective intervention programs, including training Traditional Birth Attendants and implementing oral rehydration therapy, can substantially decrease infant and early childhood mortality.
- Addressing nutritional deficiencies and improving hygienic childbirth practices are critical for reducing preventable deaths.
Abstract:
Information about the causes of infant and early childhood (1-4 years) mortality was compiled from the vital registration system for the Western Area, records from the children's Hospital in Freetown and two demographic sample surveys conducted in various chiefdom headquarters towns around the country. The leading causes of infant mortality are tetanus, fevers, measles and diarrhoea. A breakdown of certified deaths in infancy showed that tetanus is quite important in the neonatal period accounting for as much as 68% of neonatal deaths. Measles and diarrhoea were the leading causes of death in the last 6 months of infancy. The leading causes of early childhood deaths were measles, diarrhoea and fevers. Nutritionally related diseases such as measles and diarrhoea were seen to account for up to 40% of all early childhood deaths. The major factors affecting these causes of death were childbirth and childcare practices in the case of tetanus and the nutritional status of the children in the case of measles and diarrhoea. The majority of deliveries were still being performed by Traditional Birth Attendants in very unhygienic surroundings which it was felt contributed significantly to the high incidence of neonatal tetanus. At the other childhood ages the poor nutritional status of the majority of children in Sierra Leone as shown by the results of the 1978 National Nutrition Survey was seen as the significant factor. The effects of the identified major causes of infant and early childhood mortality (tetanus, fevers, measles, and diarrhoea) can be largely diminished by effective intervention programmes such as oral rehydration therapy and the training of Traditional Birth Attendants.