Infant mortality in Pondicherry--an analysis of a cohort of 8185 births.

Infant mortality rate is one of the 12 global indicators for monitoring Health for All. Reliable data on infant mortality are not available for the majority of developing countries including India. To plan strategies for bringing down the rate and, later, to evaluate them, 'Cause Specific Rates' would be necessary. Pondicherry has achieved low rates of infant mortality. A study was conducted in the Anganwadis of Pondicherry to determine the causes of infant deaths. The 8185 children born between 1-4-1987 and 31-3-1988 in Pondicherry formed the study group. The Anganwadi workers collected information on the cause of death for the 222 children dying within the first year. The infant mortality rate was 27.1 per 1000 live births. Acute respiratory infections and diarrheal diseases accounted for 45% of the deaths.