Advanced maternal age and occurrence of infant death: Brazilian ecological study

To analyze the evolution of the characteristics of infant deaths registered in Brazil among women with advanced maternal age.

Ecological time series study using secondary data from the Mortality Information System on the evolution of infant deaths from 2011-2020. The variables assessed included: maternal, infant gestational and birth characteristics, as well as data related to death. The behavior of the variables was assessed using simple linear regression models with a normal response, with the year as the independent variable in each of the subpopulations.

The studied sample consisted of 30,843 infant deaths among women aged 35 years or over. There was a decreasing trend for the variables race/white skin color, living in the southern region of the country, lack of schooling of the mother or up to 7 years education, paid work and vaginal delivery; there was an increase trend for the variables: race/brown skin color, mother's education level equal to or greater than 8 years and low birth weight.

The analysis revealed distinct patterns regarding sociodemographic and maternal and child health factors, highlighting the complexity of infant mortality trends and the importance of effective collective approaches.