Infant mortality occurs when a child dies before their first birthday. Childhood mortality is the death of a child before their fifth birthday. National statistics tend to group these two mortality rates together. Ten million infants and children die each year before their fifth birthday. Ninety-nine percent of these infant and childhood deaths occur in Developing nation. Infant mortality takes away society’s potential physical, social, and human capital.
Generally the most common cause worldwide was dehydration from diarrhea, a preventable disease; however, a variety of programs combating this problem have decreased the rate of children dying from dehydration. Many factors contribute to infant mortality such as the mother’s level of education, environmental conditions, and political and medical infrastructure. Improving sanitation, increasing access to clean drinking water, and providing immunization against infectious diseases, among other public health improvements, could help solve high rates of infant mortality.
Read more about Infant Mortality: Infant Mortality Rate, Causes of Infant Mortality, Measuring IMR, Prevention and Intervention
Famous quotes containing the words infant mortality, infant and/or mortality:
“Families suffered badly under industrialization, but they survived, and the lives of men, women, and children improved. Children, once marginal and exploited figures, have moved to a position of greater protection and respect,... The historic decline in the overall death rates for children is an astonishing social fact, notwithstanding the disgraceful infant mortality figures for the poor and minorities. Like the decline in death from childbirth for women, this is a stunning achievement.”
—Joseph Featherstone (20th century)
“The colicky baby who becomes calm, the quiet infant who throws temper tantrums at two, the wild child at four who becomes serious and studious at six all seem to surprise their parents. It is difficult to let go of one’s image of a child, say goodbye to the child a parent knows, and get accustomed to this slightly new child inhabiting the known child’s body.”
—Ellen Galinsky (20th century)
“When I turned into a parent, I experienced a real and total personality change that slowly shifted back to the “normal” me, yet has not completely vanished. I believe the two levels are now superimposed, with an additional sprinkling of mortality intimations.”
—Sonia Taitz (20th century)