Infant mortality in Central Europe: effects of transition.
OBJECTIVE
To address the issue of infant mortality as an important health indicator, we systematically analyzed trends in infant mortality in five central and eastern European (CEE) countries (the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia).


METHODS
Infant mortality rates (per 1,000 live births) and trends were computed using the World Health Organization database, as well as selected European databases.


RESULTS
In 1990, mortality rates in most CEE countries were appreciably higher than the mean European Union value of 9.2/1,000 (up to 14.8/1,000 in Hungary and 19.4/1,000 in Poland). However, between 1990 and 2001, infant mortality decreased substantially in all CEE countries, and in 2001 the rates in the Czech Republic (4.0/1,000) and Slovenia (4.3/1,000) were lower than the EU average of 4.6/1,000.


CONCLUSIONS
Infant mortality is an important indicator of the improvements in health observed in CEE countries over the last decade.
The Maria Sklodowska-Curie Memorial Cancer Center and Institute of Oncology, Warsaw, Poland. zatonskiw@coi.waw.pl
Witold
W
Zatoñski
Malgorzata
M
Mikucka
Carlo
C
La Vecchia
Peter
P
Boyle
D018153:Czech Republic; D006801:Humans; D006814:Hungary; D007226:Infant Mortality / Q000639:trends*; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D011044:Poland; D011157:Population Dynamics; D018154:Slovakia; D017524:Slovenia