C. Cans et al., INFANT-MORTALITY TRENDS COMPARED WITH TRE NDS IN CHILDHOOD IMPAIRMENTS, ISERE (FRANCE), 1976-1985, Revue d'epidemiologie et de sante publique, 45(3), 1997, pp. 214-223
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.