Original Research Article
Year: 2019 | Month: June | Volume: 9 | Issue: 6 | Pages: 9-15
Predictors of Neonatal and Infant Deaths in India
Supriya Khare1, Akash Mishra2, Utkarsh3, R.N. Mishra4, Neelima Alka Singh5
1Research Scholar, Department of Statistics, Institute of Science, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi-221005
2Ph.D. Scholar, Department of Biostatistics, JIPMER, Puducherry-605006
3Assistant Professor, Department of Statistics, Amity Institute of Applied Sciences, Amity University,
Noida-201313
4Professor & Coordinator, Centre of Biostatistics, Institute of Medical Sciences, BHU, Varanasi-221005
5Research Scholar, Department of Community Medicine, Institute of Medical Sciences, BHU, Varanasi-221005
Corresponding Author: Neelima Alka Singh
ABSTRACT
Background: Child mortality is one of the important indicators that reflect level of socio-economic development and existence and utilization of medical services of any nation. Decline of child mortality, especially during neonate and infancy period is highly desirable. Many programmes launched by the country; still child mortality is of major concern. Further, effective implementation of modified programs is the need to reduce IMR for which modifiable determinants of mortality during neonatal period and infancy are needed.
Aim: Assessing the status and determinants of neonatal and infant mortality
Method: Present analysis was carried on data of NFHS-3 conducted in 2005-06. Bivariate analysis was used to identify the associated characteristics and Logistic Regression analysis to eliminate the effect of confounding was followed to identify the determinants of IMR. Statistical significance was judged at 5% level of significance.
Result: A wide regional gap was found for both neonatal and IMR; lowest in western and southern regions (3.2%) and highest in central region (6.6%) but the proportion of neonatal to infant deaths was almost similar and was around 70% in all the regions except north-east. Education, income, age and parity had much role to play to neonatal and infant mortalities. The risk of death during infancy was higher by 1.28, 1.23, 1.76 and 1.32 times higher in north, north-east, central and east compared to southern region. Higher was the education of mother, lower was the neonatal and infant deaths irrespective of region.
Conclusion: Women should be advised to avoid pregnancy before age 20 years, maintain adequate spacing, and not to move to higher order births for which needed contraceptive methods should be suggested to practice. Also, regional variation in services to reduce low birth weight babies should be on priority for maximum IMR reduction.
Key words: Birth Order, Infant, Neonatal, Mortality.