COMMUNITY STUDY OF INFANT-MORTALITY IN SAN-DIEGO COUNTY

Infant mortality in San Diego County (USA) in 1988 was 6.9 per 1000 li ve births. This rate had remained unchanged since 1980. It rose to 8.3 in 1989 and fell to 7.0 in 1990. This study describes the results of an investigation into the causes of infant mortality during 1985. A to tal of 333 infant deaths were recorded. Nearly half the neonatal death s were related to perinatal causes and more than half the post-neonata l deaths were attributed to the Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. Two-thir ds of all infant deaths occurred in the neonatal period. The contribut ion of factors in the maternal background and those related to care du ring labour, as well as postnatally, is described.