["Legal" infant mortality on the island of Minorca (1950-1984)]

The objective of this study is to describe the infant mortality in Menorca from 1950 to 1984 using information from hte Civil Registers from all the municipalities of the island. The infant mortality rate presents a very important decline during all the period (31.07) to 3.04 per 1000). The range is similar to the other Balearic islands and inferior than the Spanish one. The rates corresponding to the variables of sex, place and season of the year have been calculated and differences have been observed for all of them: male mortality is always greater than female mortality, the maximum rates are obtained for the first term of the year and affecting mainly to the babies born during the last term of the year. Finally, an excess of mortality is observed in the center of the island. During this period occurred the structural change of the IM:the neonatal mortality surpassed the postneonatal mortality that have been bigger till this moment, and the endogenous mortality overcame the exogenous one. The more frequent causes are these of perinatal origin followed by respiratory diseases. The results obtained are discussed in relation with the social-sanitary situation of the island during this period.