Is infant mortality in Delaware truly increasing? Evidence for increasing illness severity and shift to fetal deaths and previable births.
The infant mortality rate, considered an important proxy for societal health, has been recently rising in Delaware. In fact, in 2001, Delaware's infant mortality rate (10.1/1,000 births) was the highest in the country. In this review, potential factors leading to increasing infant mortality in Delaware are discussed. Evidence for increasing illness severity in infants with birth weights less than 1,500 grams and an increasing number of live, yet previable, births is presented.
Paul
David A
DA
Department of Pediatrics and Section of Neonatology, Christiana Care Health System and A.I. duPont Hospital for Children, Thomas Jefferson University, USA.
Locke
Robert
R
Walrath
Judy
J
Esterly
Katherine
K
Stefano
John L
JL
D002543:Cerebral Hemorrhage / Q000473:pathology; D003691:Delaware / Q000453:epidemiology; D005006:Ethnicity; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007226:Infant Mortality / Q000639:trends*; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature; D019102:Infant, Very Low Birth Weight; D011247:Pregnancy; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012307:Risk Factors; D012720:Severity of Illness Index