title: Mortality Rate for Children under 5 Years of Age in Zhejiang Province, China from 1997 to 2012.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This is a population based descriptive study that examined the trends in childhood mortality among under five children and the major causes under five mortality in Zhejiang Province, China.
  
  
  METHODS
  A population-based survey was conducted through a province-level surveillance network. The mortality rate and leading causes of death for children under 5 years of age were analyzed. The trend in the mortality rate for children under five and cause-specific mortality rates were analyzed by chi-square with SPSS 13.0 software.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In Zhejiang Province, during 1997-2012, mortality rates in neonates, postneonatal infants, and children under 5 years were reduced by 64.2% (from 7.85 to 2.81 per 1000 livebirths), 66.7% (from 12.73 to 4.24 per 1000 livebirths), and 63% (from 15.76 to 5.85 per 1000 livebirths), respectively. The mortality rates in children under 5 years of age decreased by 59.5% (from 11.09 to 4.49 per 1000 livebirths) and 65.8% (from 19.30 to 6.61 per 1000 livebirths) in urban and rural areas, respectively. Prematurity/low birth weight and congenital heart disease were in the top five causes of death in children under 5 years of age during 1997-2012.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Zhejiang province has achieved great progress in the reduction of mortality rates in children under five-years-old during the past two decades. The future tasks on reduction of mortality rate still rely on how to improve the management of premature birth/low birth weight, reduce birth defects and prevent accidental deaths in Zhejiang Province.
authors.affiliation: Department of Administration, Children's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310003, China.
authors.forename: Weifang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health, Zhejiang Medical College, Hangzhou, 310003, China.
authors.forename: Dingwan
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Department of Administration, Children's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310003, China.
authors.forename: Yanhua
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.affiliation: Department of Administration, Children's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310003, China.
authors.forename: Rulai
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Department of Administration, Children's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310003, China.
authors.forename: Zhengyan
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Zhao
mesh_terms: D002423:Cause of Death; D046688:Child Mortality / Q000639:trends*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D012424:Rural Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D014505:Urban Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data