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Ministry of Health
TABLE 24
INFANT MORTALITY BY AGE OF MOTHER AND BIRTH WEIGHT
BRITISH COLUMBIA, 1998

Age of Birth Weight (in Grams) Total
Mother <1500 1500-2499 2500+ N.S. Number Rate
<20 10 2 6 - 18 8.58
20-24 7 8 14 1 30 4.03
25-29 14 8 23 - 45 3.44
30-34 26 10 11 - 47 3.61
35-39 11 4 8 - 23 3.69
40+ 4 1 3 - 8 7.73
N.S. - - - 2 2 -
TOTAL 72 33 65 3 173 4.03
Percent 41.6 19.1 37.6 1.7 100.0  

Note: Infant Mortality - Age at death less than one year.
Rate per 1,000 live births in the specified age group.
Total percentage may not add up to 100 due to rounding.
One infant death with gender unknown is included.
Non-residents are excluded. N.S. - Not stated.

HIGHLIGHTS TO TABLE 24
  • There were 173 infant deaths (under one year of age) in 1998, for an infant mortality rate of 4.03 infant deaths per 1,000 live births. This represents a decrease from 1997 when there were 202 infant deaths and the infant mortality rate was 4.6. The 1998 B.C. infant deaths and infant mortality rate were the lowest since 1965. For time series data, please refer to Table 4 and Figure 6.

  • In 1998, babies born to mothers under 20 years of age and to mothers 40 years of age and older had the highest infant mortality rates; approximately twice as high as the infant mortality rates for babies born to mothers in the remaining maternal age groups. There were 8.58 infant deaths per 1,000 live births for teenage mothers (under 20 years of age) and 7.73 infant deaths per 1,000 live births for mothers 40 years of age and older. For all remaining maternal age groups (20 to 39 years of age), the infant mortality rate ranged from 3.44 to 4.03.

  • Low birth weight (less than 2,500 grams) and very low birth weight (less than 1,500 grams) are risk factors for infant mortality. Approximately three fifths (60.7%) of the infants who died in 1998 had low birth weight (105 infant deaths), and 41.6% of the infants who died had very low birth weight (72).