Abstract
Purpose: To assess the regional patterns of infant mortality due to lethal congenital anomalies, and the potential reasons for the regional patterns.
Method: The study analyzed 2,507 infant deaths due to lethal congenital anomalies among 1,178,452 live births in 9 of the 12 Canadian provinces and territories from 1990 to 1995 recorded in Statistics Canada’s live birth and death data bases.
Results: Compared with the province of Quebec, congenital anomaly-attributed infant mortality was higher in Newfoundland, Saskatchewan, and Alberta. These differences in infant mortality were substantial for cardiovascular system anomalies and especially anen-cephaly. For infant mortality due to chromosomal anomalies, however, there was little interprovincial variation.
Conclusions: Despite substantial recent reductions in lethal congenital anomaly-attributed infant mortality, there remain major regional variations in infant mortality caused by certain forms of congenital anomalies including anen-cephaly and cardiovascular system anomalies.
Résumé
But: évaluer les tendances régionales de mortalité infantile attribuable aux anomalies congénitales mortelles, et les raisons potentielles qui les expliquent.
Méthode: l’étude a analysé 2 507 décès de nourrissons résultant d’anomalies congénitales mortelles sur 1 178 452 naissances vivantes dans 9 des 12 provinces et territoires du Canada, de 1990 à 1995, à partir des bases de données sur les naissances vivantes et les décès à la naissance de Statistique Canada.
Résultats: par comparaison avec la province du Québec, la mortalité des nourrissons attribuable à des anomalies congénitales est apparue plus élevée à Terre-Neuve, en Saskatchewan, et en Alberta. Ces écarts de mortalité infantile étaient très nets pour les anomalies du système cardio-vasculaire, et spécialement dans les cas d’anencéphalie. Toutefois, en ce qui a trait à la mortalité infantile attribuable aux anomalies chromosomiques, on a constaté peu de différences entre les provinces.
Conclusions: en dépit d’une nette baisse récente de la mortalité infantile attribuable aux anomalies congénitales mortelles, il subsiste des écarts régionaux de mortalité infantile causée par certains types d’anomalies congénitales, notamment celles dues aux anencéphalies et aux anomalies du système cardio-vasculaire.
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