title: [Infant mortality in Germany (2008-2012)--lower in the former German Democratic Republic?].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  German infant mortality is ranked near the median of European countries. In Germany infant mortality is significantly higher in the German Federal Republic compared with the former German Democratic Republic. This is often used as reason for a call for structural requirements and minimum caseload for the care for very low birth weight infants.
  
  
  METHODS
  Neonatal and infant mortality were calculated for the 16 German federal states with data from the German statistical federal office for the years 2008-2012.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Considerable variations were found for the neonatal (1.34-3.61‰, total Germany 2.31‰) and the infant (2.38-5.20‰, 3.47‰) mortality. The rate of stillborn infants was 3.56‰. A lower neonatal mortality in the former German Democratic Republic (1.62‰ vs. 2.44‰, p<0.0001, Chi-squared test) could not be confirmed for preterm infants with birth weight less than 1 500 g. In the former German Democratic Republic stillbirth was significantly more frequent in preterm infants with birth weight 500-999 g (p<0.0001). Combined stillbirth and neonatal mortality showed no difference between the German Federal Republic and former German Democratic Republic (5.45‰ and 5.29‰, respectively, n.s.; infants less than 500 g birth weight were excluded). The average number of preterm infants per perinatal centre and federal state had no influence on state specific neonatal mortality.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  If stillborn infants were accounted for no difference was found between the German Federal Republic and the former German Democratic Republic regarding mortality. Comparing infant mortality of different countries has to account for stillborn infants. Considerable variation of neonatal mortality is persisting throughout Germany despite structural requirements and introduction of a minimum caseload since 2005. A lower infant mortality in the former German Democratic Republic and implications drawn from are not supported by the presented nationwide data from the German statistical federal office.
authors.affiliation: Klinik für Kinder und Jugendliche, Gesundheitsverbund Landkreis Konstanz, Hegau-Bodensee-Klinikum, Singen - Prof. Dr. med. Andreas Trotter.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Trotter
authors.affiliation: Klinik für Kinder und Jugendliche, Klinikum Esslingen - Prof. Dr. med. Christian v. Schnakenburg.
authors.forename: C v
authors.initials: Cv
authors.lastname: Schnakenburg
authors.affiliation: Universitätsklinikum Ulm, Klinik für Kinder- und Jugendmedizin - Prof. Dr. med. Frank Pohlandt.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Pohlandt
mesh_terms: D015982:Bias; D003627:Data Interpretation, Statistical; D005858:Germany / Q000453:epidemiology; D005859:Germany, East / Q000453:epidemiology; D005860:Germany, West / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007226:Infant Mortality / Q000639:trends*; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007235:Infant, Premature, Diseases / Q000401:mortality*; D019102:Infant, Very Low Birth Weight; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D012307:Risk Factors; D050497:Stillbirth / Q000453:epidemiology*; D016019:Survival Analysis; D015996:Survival Rate