title: Neonatal infection-associated mortality in China, a population-based study, 2003-2008.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine trends in the major causes and rates of neonatal infection-associated mortality (NIMRs) in different geographical regions in China from 2003 to 2008.
  
  
  METHODS
  Neonatal mortality data collected from the Chinese National Women and Children's Health Surveillance Network were analyzed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The NIMRs declined. Pneumonia, sepsis and diarrhea were the top three infections that caused neonatal deaths. Compared to the coastal region, the relative risk (RR) of NIMRs in the remote and inland regions declined from 5.52 (95% CI: 4.05-7.52) and 2.37 (95% CI: 1.72-3.25) during 2003-2005 to 3.45 (95% CI: 2.58-4.61) and 1.72 (95% CI: 1.28-2.31) during 2006-2008, respectively. Once again, compared to the coastal region, the risk of pneumonia-specific mortality had significant regional disparities during 2006-2008 with a RR of 3.82 (95% CI: 2.74-5.32) in the remote region and 2.01 (95% CI: 1.44-2.80) in the inland region. The NIMRs in the remote region was characterized by more home deliveries and non-healthcare seeking behavior prior to death than the coastal region.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Infection is still one of the main causes of neonatal mortality in China. Although the NIMRs have been declining, disparities concerning neonatal infection-associated and pneumonia-specific neonatal morality still exist. Approaches for reducing mortality of neonatal infections will efficiently decrease total neonatal mortality.
authors.affiliation: National Office for Maternal and Children's Health Surveillance of China, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University , Chengdu, Sichuan , PR China.
authors.forename: Juan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Liang
authors.forename: Xueyan
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhen
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.forename: Dezhi
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Mu
authors.forename: Xiaohong
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Yuehua
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Chunhua
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: He
authors.forename: Lei
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Miao
authors.forename: Zuxun
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.forename: Yanping
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D001724:Birth Weight / Q000502:physiology; D002423:Cause of Death; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D036861:Delivery, Obstetric / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D005843:Geography; D006801:Humans; D007226:Infant Mortality / Q000639:trends*; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007232:Infant, Newborn, Diseases / Q000401:mortality*; D007239:Infections / Q000151:congenital / Q000401:mortality*; D050498:Live Birth / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D011153:Population; D011247:Pregnancy