Skip to main content
American Journal of Public Health logoLink to American Journal of Public Health
. 1994 May;84(5):850–852. doi: 10.2105/ajph.84.5.850

International infant mortality rates: bias from reporting differences.

E M Howell 1, B Blondel 1
PMCID: PMC1615029  PMID: 8179061

Abstract

International infant mortality statistics have caused concern in the United States, since the US ranking relative to other developed countries has declined since World War II. This paper suggests that there may be international differences in reporting of very-low-birthweight infants and perinatal deaths and that such reporting differences bias comparisons of national perinatal and infant mortality rates. Efforts must be made to adopt standard conventions for the inclusion of small, early infants and fetal deaths in rate calculations.

Full text

PDF
850

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Ascherio A., Chase R., Coté T., Dehaes G., Hoskins E., Laaouej J., Passey M., Qaderi S., Shuqaidef S., Smith M. C. Effect of the Gulf War on infant and child mortality in Iraq. N Engl J Med. 1992 Sep 24;327(13):931–936. doi: 10.1056/NEJM199209243271306. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Blondel B., Grandjea H., Kaminski M., Bréat G., Pontonnier G., Sureau C. Criteria for registering births. Lancet. 1991 Apr 20;337(8747):981–981. doi: 10.1016/0140-6736(91)91617-4. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Doornbos J. P., Nordbeck H. J., Treffers P. E. The reliability of perinatal mortality statistics in The Netherlands. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 1987 May;156(5):1183–1187. doi: 10.1016/0002-9378(87)90138-4. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Fenton A. C., Field D. J., Mason E., Clarke M. Attitudes to viability of preterm infants and their effect on figures for perinatal mortality. BMJ. 1990 Feb 17;300(6722):434–436. doi: 10.1136/bmj.300.6722.434. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Keirse M. J. Perinatal mortality rates do not contain what they purport to contain. Lancet. 1984 May 26;1(8387):1166–1169. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(84)91405-3. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Lee K. S., Paneth N., Gartner L. M., Pearlman M. The very low-birth-weight rate: Principal predictor of neonatal mortality in industrialized populations. J Pediatr. 1980 Nov;97(5):759–764. doi: 10.1016/s0022-3476(80)80259-9. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Milner R. D., Beard R. W. Limit of fetal viability. Lancet. 1984 May 12;1(8385):1079–1080. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(84)91488-0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Savitz D. A., Thang N. M., Swenson I. E., Stone E. M. Vietnamese infant and childhood mortality in relation to the Vietnam War. Am J Public Health. 1993 Aug;83(8):1134–1138. doi: 10.2105/ajph.83.8.1134. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Scott M. J., Ritchie J. W., McClure B. G., Reid M. M., Halliday H. L. Perinatal death recording: time for a change? Br Med J (Clin Res Ed) 1981 Feb 28;282(6265):707–710. doi: 10.1136/bmj.282.6265.707. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Toole M. J., Waldman R. J. Prevention of excess mortality in refugee and displaced populations in developing countries. JAMA. 1990 Jun 27;263(24):3296–3302. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from American Journal of Public Health are provided here courtesy of American Public Health Association

RESOURCES