Temporal trends in neonatal mortality in Pernambuco.

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Epidemiology
• Demography

Background:

• Neonatal mortality remains a critical public health challenge globally.
• Understanding temporal trends is crucial for effective intervention strategies.
• Pernambuco, Brazil, has specific regional health disparities impacting neonatal outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze the temporal trends of neonatal mortality rates in Pernambuco's health regions from 2000 to 2020.
• To identify variations in mortality trends across different regions within Pernambuco.
• To assess the impact of the Mãe Coruja Pernambucana Program on neonatal mortality trends.

Main Methods:

• Ecological time-series study design.
• Analysis of total neonatal mortality rate and its early/late components.
• Joinpoint Regression analysis to determine trend changes and calculate annual/average percentage changes.

Main Results:

• The overall neonatal mortality rate in Pernambuco averaged 11.5 deaths per 1,000 live births during the study period.
• A significant decreasing trend in neonatal mortality was observed, most pronounced in the early neonatal component.
• The region containing the state capital exhibited the most rapid decline in neonatal mortality across all components.

Conclusions:

• Neonatal mortality in Pernambuco demonstrated a declining temporal trend.
• The rate of reduction in neonatal mortality was not uniform across all health regions.
• The Mãe Coruja Pernambucana Program did not show a discernible impact on the observed neonatal mortality trends.