1Assistant Professor, Community Medicine Department, GMERS Medical College, Gotri, Vadodara
2Associate Professor, Pathology Department GMERS Medical College, Gotri, Vadodara
*Corresponding author: Amul B Patel, Gurukrupa, 229, Nandanvan society, Near Abhilasha cross roads, New Sama Road, Vadodara-390008. Email: dramulpatel@rediffmail.com, Mobile: 9429823997
Online published on 9 May, 2014.
With decrease in IMR, it becomes important to find out cause of death and assess the preventability for each case of infant death. In India, data on the local prevalent causes of death in general and infant death in particular are virtually non-existent. No such community-based study has been undertaken in Gujarat. This study was carried out with objective of finding out cause of death and assessing the preventability for all infant deaths.
Study was conducted in 51 villages of 3 Primary Health Centers from a tribal dominated Taluka of South Gujarat. The study incorporated all the infant deaths occurred during 1st September 2004 to 31st August 2005. Data was collected in a designed verbal autopsy questionnaire by house to house survey and analyzed in Epi Info software.
A total of 48 infant deaths were found. Out of 35 cases who sought treatment, in 9(28%) cases treatment was received from government health facilities. It was within half an hour in 13(37.2%) cases. 29(60.4%) infants died at home. The leading causes of death were low birth weight (45.8%), pre-maturity (31.3%), pneumonia (22.9%) and diarrhea (14.6%). In 75% cases death was preventable.
If all infant deaths were reviewed from a prevention assessment perspective, targeted and data-driven recommendations for prevention could be developed for each community, and then majority of deaths could be prevented. Sensitization of doctors and grass root health workers is must to revitalize the health system.
Infant Deaths, Cause of Death, Preventability
