Birthweight, maternal age, and birth order : three important determinants in infant mortality

More than 35,000 deaths in infants and children under five years of age from 15 project areas widely spaced throughout the Americas were carefully studied. Using data on the deaths of children under one year of age, this paper analyzes three major determinants of infant mortality for eight projects: birthweight, maternal age, and birth order. Cross tabulations of live birth data from Chile, El Salvador, and California by birth order and by maternal age group are used in this analysis. References are also made to previous studies in which the three factors have been analyzed. Comparisons are made with data on a 1968 live birth cohort in New York City; this reveals similarities with the results from the Inter-American Investigation and supports the emphasis being placed on these three determinants, especially birthweight. The data indicates the importance of the mother"s age and parity in the survival and future health of a child. Nutritional deficiency and low birthweight endanger the survival and hamper the growth of infants, of young children, and probably of future mothers