A detailed assessment of high infant death rates in Gaziantep in 2013

• Published in: Journal of the Pakistan Medical Association Vol. 69; no. 6; pp. 846 - 851
• Main Authors: Aydin, Neriman, Ozcirpici, Birgul, Kuzu, Senay Leyla, Karakok, Metin
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Pakistan Knowledge Bylanes 01.06.2019
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Analysis; Anopheles; Child health; Congenital Abnormalities - mortality; Consanguinity; Cross-Sectional Studies; Health care disparities; Humans; Infant; Infant Mortality; Infant, Newborn; Infant, Newborn, Diseases - mortality; Infants; Mortality; Mothers - statistics & numerical data; Prenatal Care - statistics & numerical data; Prevention; Primary health care; Risk assessment; Turkey - epidemiology; Young Adult; Turkey; Infant mortality, Primary healthcare, Social inequalities, Turkey
• ISSN: 0030-9982

To determine the causes of a relatively high infant mortality rate in a Turkish city compared to the nationwide rate. The cross-sectional study was conducted at Gaziantep from January to March 2014, and comprised a representative sample of infant deaths that occurred between January and December 2013 in the city of Gaziantep, Turkey. Mothers of the deceased infants were interviewed using a structured questionnaire. Data was analysed using SPSS 22. Of the 556 deaths, 114(20.5%) cases comprised the sample and their mothers formed the study universe. Of them, 3(2.6%) were aged below 18 years; 22(19.3%) were over 35 years; 20(17.5%) had 4 or more children, and 40(35.0%) had an interval of less than 2 years between two pregnancies. Consanguineous marriage was the case with 49(43.0%) mothers. Overall, 111(97.4%) mothers had received prenatal care. Of the births, 66(57.9%) had occurred in private hospitals and 41(36%) in state hospitals. A total of 77(67.5%) infants had been delivered by caesarean section. The most frequent causes of mortality were congenital abnormalities 33(28.9%), prematurity 29(25.4%), respiratory distress syndrome 24(21.1%) and congenital heart diseases 14(12.3%). A high rate of consanguineous marriages seemed to be one of the most important causes of the high infant death rate in Gaziantep compared to the rest of Turkey..