Enrique Donoso1, Jorge A Carvajal2. 1. División de Obstetricia y Ginecología, Departamento de Obstetricia, Escuela de Medicina, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile. Electronic address: edonoso@med.puc.cl. 2. División de Obstetricia y Ginecología, Departamento de Obstetricia, Escuela de Medicina, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile.
Abstract
INTRODUCTION: Cuba has the lowest infant mortality rate in Latin America, while Chile has an infant mortality rate above the average of Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) countries. OBJECTIVE: To compare the epidemiology of infant mortality between Chile and Cuba in order to find characteristics that may explain the differences found. METHOD: Comparative analysis between Chile and Cuba of infant mortality rate, causes of mortality, live birth weight, and maternal age, in 2015. RESULTS: Cuba had a lower infant, neonatal, early and late mortality than Chile, with no differences in post-neonatal mortality. Chile had a higher infant mortality due to, alterations of the nervous system, urinary system, chromosomal alterations, respiratory distress syndrome, and disorders related to the short duration of gestation. Chile had a higher frequency of mothers ≥ 35 years old and live births weighing <2,500 g. The possible effects of health inequities could not be analyzed due to lack of data. CONCLUSIONS: It is possible to attribute the lower infant mortality rate in Cuba to: selective abortion due to congenital malformations and chromosomal anomalies, lower epidemiological risk of the Cuban pregnant population, and lower frequency of live births with low birth weight.
INTRODUCTION: Cuba has the lowest infant mortality rate in Latin America, while Chile has an infant mortality rate above the average of Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) countries. OBJECTIVE: To compare the epidemiology of infant mortality between Chile and Cuba in order to find characteristics that may explain the differences found. METHOD: Comparative analysis between Chile and Cuba of infant mortality rate, causes of mortality, live birth weight, and maternal age, in 2015. RESULTS: Cuba had a lower infant, neonatal, early and late mortality than Chile, with no differences in post-neonatal mortality. Chile had a higher infant mortality due to, alterations of the nervous system, urinary system, chromosomal alterations, respiratory distress syndrome, and disorders related to the short duration of gestation. Chile had a higher frequency of mothers ≥ 35 years old and live births weighing <2,500 g. The possible effects of health inequities could not be analyzed due to lack of data. CONCLUSIONS: It is possible to attribute the lower infant mortality rate in Cuba to: selective abortion due to congenital malformations and chromosomal anomalies, lower epidemiological risk of the Cuban pregnant population, and lower frequency of live births with low birth weight.