Child morbidity and mortality

1. CHILD MORBIDITY
AND MORTALITY RATE
PRESENTED BY:
MRS. PRECILLA B. THOPPIL
ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR

2. INTRODUCTION
1. Vital Statistics (Quantitative data concerning the population such
as the number of births, marriages and deaths) are considered
as indicators of health.
2. Birth rate and death rate are important.
3. Morbidity – The condition of suffering from a disease or medical
condition.
4. Mortality – The state of being subject to death.
5. The frequently used mortality indicators of child health care are
perinatal, neonatal, post-neonatal, infant and under 5 mortality
rates.
2

3. PERINATAL MORTALITY RATE
• PERINATAL MORTALITY RATE =
Late fetal and early neonatal deaths weighing over 1000g at birth X
1000
Total live birth weighing over 1000g at birth

4. • A number of social and biological factors are known to be associated
with it.
1. The risk factors are low socioeconomic status, high or low maternal
age, high parity, short stature mother, bad obstetrical history, maternal
malnutrition and severe anemia, multiple pregnancy.
2. The causes are mainly antenatal, intranatal or postnatal asphyxia,
LBW babies, congenital anomalies, birth injury and perinatal infections.
3. Reduction and prevention of perinatal mortality can only be possible
with better maternal and child health services.

5. NEONATAL MORTALITY RATE
• NEONATAL MORTALITY RATE =
Number of deaths of children under 28 days of age in a year X 1000
Total live birth in the same year

6. • It is greater in boys throughout the world due to more fragility of boys than girls.
• The causes of it include LBW, perinatal asphyxia, birth injury, difficult labor, congenital
anomalies, hemolytic diseases of newborn, condition of placenta and cord, diarrheal
diseases, ARI and tetanus.
• Neonatal deaths can be reduced by adequate antenatal and intranatal care including
essential neonatal care at all levels by preventing and managing the causes.

7. POSTNATAL MORTALITY RATE
• POSTANATL MORTALITY RATE =
Number of deaths of children between 28 days and one year of age in a
given year X 1000
Total live birth in the same year

8. • The main causes of death during this period are diarrhea and ARI.
• Malnutrition is the additional factor.
• In developed countries, it is mainly caused by congenital anomalies.
• Postnatal deaths increase with birth order and the girl children die more frequently
than boys due to neglected care to the female children in terms of nutrition and health
care.

9. INFANT MORTALITY RATE
• INFANT MORTALITY RATE =
Number of deaths of children between 28 days and one year of age in a
given year X 1000
Total live birth in the same year

10. • The principal causes of IMR in India are LBW, ARI, diarrheal diseases, congenital
malformations and infections especially umbilical sepsis.
• Certain important measures to reduce IMR include lowest birth rate, highest literacy
rate, specially female literacy and improvement of primary health care.
• Other preventive measures include prenatal nutrition, prevention of infections
including six killer diseases, exclusive breastfeeding, growth monitoring, family
planning, environmental sanitation, simple hygienic measures and socioeconomic

11. UNDER - FIVE MORTALITY RATE
• UNDER - 5 MORTALITY RATE =
Number of deaths of children less than 5 years of age in given year X
1000
Number of live births in the same year

12. • The basic measure of infant and child survival is the reduction of under – 5 mortality.
• The child survival can be best achieved y breastfeeding, adequate nutrition, clean
water supply, immunization coverage, oral rehydration therapy and birth spacing.
• WHO celebrated World Health Day on 7th April, 2023, with the theme “Health for all”.
The aim of the theme is to create an opportunity for the world to look back at public
health success that have helped improve the quality of life over the past 70 years
(75th Anniversary)

13. THANK YOU