Infant mortality in the Matanza-Riachuelo River Basin. Comparison with the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires, the province of Buenos Aires, and Argentina (2010-2017).

Abstract

Infant mortality rate (IMR) is an indicator of health and socioeconomic, environmental, and health care conditions. Open dumps and sewage and industrial waste make the Matanza-Riachuelo River Basin the most polluted in Argentina. To analyze infant mortality (IM) in the Matanza-Riachuelo River Basin compared to Argentina, the province of Buenos Aires (PBA), and the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires (CABA), and its evolution between 2010 and 2017. Population and methods. Descriptive study based on data from Argentina's Ministry of Health. In 2017, the IMR was 9.4 ‰ in the Matanza-Riachuelo River Basin; 9.3 ‰ in Argentina; 9.4 ‰ in PBA; and 6.9 ‰ in CABA. Between 2010 and 2017, the IMR in the Matanza- Riachuelo River Basin decreased by 20.6 %, similar to PBA and Argentina. No reduction was observed in CABA. In the 4 jurisdictions, perinatal conditions were the leading cause of death, followed by congenital malformations and respiratory diseases. For respiratory diseases only, the risk in the Matanza- Riachuelo River Basin was 4 times higher than in CABA (relative risk: 3.9; 95 % confidence interval: 1.4-10.7). The structure of causes, evolution, and risk of IM in the Matanza-Riachuelo River Basin, Argentina, and PBA was similar between 2010 and 2017. IMR was lower in CABA than in the Matanza-Riachuelo River Basin, but no reduction was observed in the former. The risk of IM was higher in the Matanza-Riachuelo River Basin than in CABA, at the expense of the increased risk of respiratory disease.