J Korean Soc Neonatol.  2011 Nov;18(2):182-188. 10.5385/jksn.2011.18.2.182.

Analysis of Infant Mortality Rate in Korea Concerning According to Birth Weight and Gestational Age from 2005 to 2009

• Cho MJ
• Ko JH
• Chung SH
• Choi YS
• Hahn WH
• Chang JY
• Bae CW

• KMID: 2099190
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.5385/jksn.2011.18.2.182

Abstract

PURPOSE
Recently in Korea, there have been significant improvements in neonatal mortality rate (NMR) and infant mortality rate (IMR). This study aimed to investigate the proportion of the NMR among IMR, with the goal of discerning the influence of improved NMR on the reduction of IMR in the last 5 years in Korea.
METHODS
All data were from Statistics Korea. Changes in the NMR percentage among IMR and the percentage of the death by the distribution of the birth weight and gestational were investigated.
RESULTS
The total birth rate decreased, but the total number of preterm and low birth weight infants increased. These was a large decrease in NMR and IMR. The proportion of NMR among INR exceeded 50%. Early NMR was higher than late NMR. Among the total infant death, the mortality of preterm and low birth weight infants was high.
CONCLUSION
Between 2005 and 2009, the total birth has declined in Korea, but the frequency of low birth weight infants is trending upward. The improvements in NMR and IMR, and the downtrend of the NMR percentage in IMR, are encouraging. It seems that the continued decrease of mortality of preterm and LBWI is required for better improvements NMR and IMR in Korea. This result is expected to be used for the basic data to improve the management of the newborns in Korea.

Keyword

Epidemiologic methods; Data collection; Vital statistics; Infant mortality; Newborn; Infant; Premature; Low birth weight

MeSH Terms

Birth Rate
Birth Weight
Data Collection
Epidemiologic Methods
Gestational Age
Humans
Infant
Infant Mortality
Infant, Low Birth Weight
Infant, Newborn
International Normalized Ratio
Korea
Parturition
Vital Statistics