title: [Trends in avoidable causes of infant mortality in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, 1984 to 1998].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To analyze the infant mortality trend in a metropolitan area, from 1984 to 1998. The main focus was on avoidable causes of neonatal and post-neonatal mortality.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sources of data were the Sistema de Informacoes em Mortalidade do Ministerio da Saude (SIM-MS) [Mortality Information System of the Ministry of Health] and Fundacao Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatistica (IBGE) [Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics Foundation] (official live birth and death records) for the metropolitan region of Belo Horizonte, in the State of Minas Gerais. A simple linear regression model was used to evaluate time-trends of mortality rates. Statistical significance of the inclination of the regression curves was considered for the p<0.05 level.
  
  
  RESULTS
  During the 15 year period in question, the infant mortality rate declined from 48.5 to 22.1/1,000 live births. However, the most accentuated decrease was observed during the last four years of the study period. The post-neonatal group was greatly responsible for this decline both in the capital and in the other districts within the metropolitan region of Belo Horizonte.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although a significant decrease in the infant mortality rate has been observed, particularly in the post-neonatal mortality, it is still larger than the rates found in developed countries. Deaths due to perinatal morbidities as well as the group of causes represented by diarrhea-pneumonia-malnutrition still present an important potential for reduction. The authors discuss the role of the health services in improving the rates of these avoidable causes of infant mortality.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Saúde da Mulher e da Criança, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Estadual de Montes Claros, Rua Dr. Walter Ferreira Barreto, 225 B. Ibituruna, 39401-347 Montes Claros, MG, Brazil. apc@connect.com.br
authors.forename: Antônio Prates
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Caldeira
authors.forename: Elisabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: França
authors.forename: Ignez Helena Oliva
authors.initials: IH
authors.lastname: Perpétuo
authors.forename: Eugênio Marcos Andrade
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Goulart
mesh_terms: D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D002423:Cause of Death / Q000639:trends*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007226:Infant Mortality / Q000639:trends*; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D012044:Regression Analysis; D014505:Urban Population