Determinants of neonatal and post-neonatal mortality in the City of São Paulo

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: Child Mortality (mortality of children less than five years) has declined considerably in the developing world in the 1990s, but the Infant Mortality has declined less. Therefore, to further reduce child mortality it is important to understand the determinants of neonatal and post-neonatal mortality. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We probabilistically matched 209628 live births and 3842 infant death records from the City of São Paulo, birth cohort of 1998. Data came from SINASC and SIM. We then used logistic regression to analyze the following risk factors of neonatal and post-neonatal mortality: birth weight, gestational age, Apgar scores at 1 and 5 minutes, delivery mode, plurality, sex, maternal education, maternal age, number of prior losses, prenatal care, race, parity and community development. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: Infants of older mothers were less likely to die in the neonatal period; infants of adolescent mothers were more likely to die in both periods. Parities four or higher increased the likelihood of post-neonatal death. Cesarean delivery was not found to be associated with infant mortality. Low number of prenatal care visits, low birth weight, preterm birth and low Apgar scores were associated with neonatal death; Low number of prenatal care visits, low birth weight, and low Apgar scores were associated with post-neonatal death. Finally, having a mother live in a highest developed community decreased the likelihood of infant death, suggesting that unmeasured factors are behind such association.