Socioeconomic And Maternal Determinants Of Infant Mortality: An Analysis Using The Swaziland Demographic Health Survey 2007

Abstract

This paper uses the 2007 Swaziland Demographic and Health Survey to investigate the impact of socioeconomic and maternal variables on infant survival. Results indicate that children born using Caesarean section had a higher risk of infant mortality. The infant mortality risk associated with multiple births was about 4 times higher relative to singleton births. Socioeconomic variables did not have a distinct impact on infant mortality. These results suggest that improving maternal and child health services, screening for high-risk pregnancies and making referral services for high-risk pregnancies more accessible, particularly to the rural women and children, will also contribute to improvement of infant survival rates.