Infant Mortality
OVERVIEW
Each year more than four million families in the United States bring home from the hospital a healthy baby who has all of the potential for a full and productive life. The birth of a baby is a joyous event, and the baby 's survival is taken for granted. But one family in 100 will suffer the loss of their child soon after birth (www.kidshealth.org). A baby is delicate and has not developed immunities to widespread diseases. When a country has a high rate of infant death, it usually signals high mortality risk from infectious, parasitic, communicable, and other diseases associated with poor sanitary conditions and malnourishment (www.prb.org). As a result, the infant mortality rate, which is the number of deaths of children under age 1 per 1,000 live births, is considered one of the most sensitive measures of a nation 's health (McKenzie, 2005). Infant death is an important measure of a nation 's health because it is associated with a variety of factors, such as maternal health, quality of access to medical care, socioeconomic conditions and public health practices (McKenzie, 2005). Infant mortality has two components, neonatal mortality and post-neonatal mortality. Neonatal mortality is deaths that occur during the first 28 days after birth. The most common causes of neonatal deaths are premature deaths and low birth weight. Post-neonatal mortality is deaths that occur between 28 days and 365 days after birth. The most common causes of post-neonatal deaths are sudden infant death syndrome and congenital birth effects.
LOW BIRTH WEIGHT Very little is known about the causes of low birth weight and preterm birth despite an extensive amount of research (www.futureofchildren.org). Low birth weight that results from suboptimal intrauterine growth is associated with three major risk factors: cigarette smoking during pregnancy, low maternal weight gain, and low pre-pregnancy weight. These three risk factors account for nearly two-thirds of all
Each year more than four million families in the United States bring home from the hospital a healthy baby who has all of the potential for a full and productive life. The birth of a baby is a joyous event, and the baby 's survival is taken for granted. But one family in 100 will suffer the loss of their child soon after birth (www.kidshealth.org). A baby is delicate and has not developed immunities to widespread diseases. When a country has a high rate of infant death, it usually signals high mortality risk from infectious, parasitic, communicable, and other diseases associated with poor sanitary conditions and malnourishment (www.prb.org). As a result, the infant mortality rate, which is the number of deaths of children under age 1 per 1,000 live births, is considered one of the most sensitive measures of a nation 's health (McKenzie, 2005). Infant death is an important measure of a nation 's health because it is associated with a variety of factors, such as maternal health, quality of access to medical care, socioeconomic conditions and public health practices (McKenzie, 2005). Infant mortality has two components, neonatal mortality and post-neonatal mortality. Neonatal mortality is deaths that occur during the first 28 days after birth. The most common causes of neonatal deaths are premature deaths and low birth weight. Post-neonatal mortality is deaths that occur between 28 days and 365 days after birth. The most common causes of post-neonatal deaths are sudden infant death syndrome and congenital birth effects.
LOW BIRTH WEIGHT Very little is known about the causes of low birth weight and preterm birth despite an extensive amount of research (www.futureofchildren.org). Low birth weight that results from suboptimal intrauterine growth is associated with three major risk factors: cigarette smoking during pregnancy, low maternal weight gain, and low pre-pregnancy weight. These three risk factors account for nearly two-thirds of all
Cited: www.cnn.com, accessed October 31, 2005, "Infant Mortality rises for first time in decades", February 11, 2005 www.futureofchildren.org, accessed November 2, 2005, "Low Birth Weight: Analysis and Recommendations" www.hhs.gov, accessed October 31, 2005, "Preventing Infant Mortality," March 18, 2002. www.kidshealth.org, accessed October 31, 2005, Sudden Infant Death Syndrome Kramer, M.S. Determinants of low birth weight, Bulletin of the World Health Organization (1997) 65-663-737 McKenzie, J.F., Pinger,R.R., Kotecki, J.E. (2005, 5th ed.). An Introduction to Community Health. MA: Jones and Bartlett. www.prb.org, accessed October 31, 2005, "Human Population: Fundamentals of Growth World Health