title: A community based study of Infant Mortality in rural Aligarh.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Infant mortality rate is regarded as an important and sensitive indicator of the health status of a community. It also reflects the living standard of the people and the effectiveness of interventions for improving maternal and child health. Multiple factors related to social and economic conditions, health care and environment have a significant role to play on childhood mortality and improving childhood mortality is a national priority. The present study was planned to 1) determine the mortality rate among neonates and infants. 2) identification of pattern of various factors in relation to infant mortality and 3) to identify the causes of death in this age group.
  
  
  METHODS
  All the deaths in children under 12 months during July 2005 to June 2006 in Jawan block of district Aligarh, India were recorded. The cause of death was ascertained using the standard verbal autopsy procedure.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In the study period, 446 live births and 37 deaths in children under one year of age were reported. The neonatal and infant mortality rates were 49.4 and 83.0 per thousand live births respectively. The main causes of infant deaths were birth asphyxia, diarrhoea, pneumonia, prematurity (including Low birth weight and malnutrition).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Most of the death among infants are preventable, though promotion of institutional deliveries, strengthening of referral system, early recognition of danger signs and periodic retraining of health workers.
authors: Department of Community Medicine, J.N. Medical College,  A.M.U., Aligarh (UP). India.
authors: Ms
authors: M
authors: Shah
authors: N
authors: N
authors: Khalique
authors: Z
authors: Z
authors: Khan
authors: A
authors: A
authors: Amir
keywords: Infant mortality; Neonatal mortality; Verbal autopsy
references: Lancet. 2005 Mar 5-11;365(9462):891-900
references: 15752534
references: Scand J Public Health. 2005;33(6):409-11
references: 16332605
references: Indian J Matern Child Health. 1992 Jul-Sep;3(3):85-8
references: 12288817
references: Indian Pediatr. 2003 Aug;40(8):766-71
references: 12951380
references: Bull World Health Organ. 2004 Apr;82(4):265-73
references: 15259255
references: Asia Pac Popul J. 1999 Mar;14(1):59-75
references: 12295291
references: Indian J Pediatr. 2007 May;74(5):449-53
references: 17526955