INFANT-MORTALITY TRENDS COMPARED WITH TRE NDS IN CHILDHOOD IMPAIRMENTS, ISERE (FRANCE), 1976-1985

Since 1960 progress in obstetric and neonatology modified the survival chance of babies and the pattern of mortality causes. With the inform ation available in the death certificates the aim was to analyse the t rends in infant mortality for all 0.1 year children deaths occurring f rom 1976 to 1991, and to look at its influence on disabled children pr evalence rates. The study was conducted in Isere (France) and include 1702 infant deaths. A part from death groups with perinatal disease an d/or with congenital defects, a group of deaths with risk factor of di sability was identified. This group represented 43 % of all the infant ile deaths and showed a significant decreasing trend, very similar to the decrease of the early neonatal mortality component (until 1983). H owever, during the same period, for the disabled children prevalence a nd for the other infant mortality components, no significant variation was found. The decrease of the deaths with risk factor of disability suggests some influence on the disabled children prevalence.