[Click
here to download a
Microsoft Excel Spreadsheet of the above table]
- In 1999, there were 156 infant deaths and 294 stillbirths. This was a decrease (10.3%) in the number of infant deaths and an increase (5.8%) of stillbirths compared to 1998 (174 infant deaths and 278 stillbirths). The number of stillbirths has exceeded the number of infant deaths each year since 1991 (see Table 1 and Table 4 for details).
- Infant deaths due to unknown causes and those under investigation are coded to 799.9 and are shown under Other causes, while undetermined causes of death for stillbirths are coded to 779.9 and are included under Other perinatal conditions.
- Perinatal complications were the cause of death for almost half (49.4%) of the infant deaths (77) and 81.0% of all stillbirths (238) in 1999. The infant mortality rate for 1999 due to perinatal complications was 18.45 deaths per 10,000 live births, and the stillbirth rate for this cause was 56.62 per 10,000 total births.
- Congenital anomalies were responsible for one fifth (20.5%) of infant deaths (32) and one out of every seven (18.0%) stillbirths (53) in 1999. The infant mortality rate for 1999 due to congenital anomalies was 7.67 deaths per 10,000 live births, and the stillbirth rate was 12.61 per 10,000 total births.
- Among 32 infant deaths due to congenital anomalies in 1999, the most common cause was anomalies of the heart and circulatory system (10 deaths) followed by congenital anomalies of the respiratory system (7 deaths). For stillbirths due to congenital anomalies (53 deaths), the most common cause was chromosomal anomalies (19 deaths), followed by multiple congenital anomalies (14 deaths).
- Of the 83 deaths in the early neonatal period (age at death under 7 days), over three quarters (78.3%) were due to perinatal complications (65 deaths). The most common causes of early neonatal deaths in 1999 were respiratory conditions of fetus and newborn (19), complications of placenta, cord and membranes (15), and complications of pregnancy, labour and delivery (9).
- Among the 105 infant deaths in the neonatal period (age at death less than 28 days), 22 deaths (21.0%) were due to congenital anomalies. Similarly, in the post neonatal period (age at death 28-364 days), 19.6% of infant deaths (10 out of 51) were due to congenital anomalies.
- Perinatal deaths refers to fetal deaths (stillbirths) and neonatal deaths (age at death less than 28 days). Based on the information in this table, there were 399 perinatal deaths in 1999 for a perinatal mortality rate of 94.93 deaths per 10,000 total births.
- There were 51 infant deaths in the post neonatal period (28 to 364 days after birth). Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) was tied with congenital anomalies as the leading cause of post neonatal deaths in 1999. SIDS and congenital anomalies each accounted for almost one fifth (19.6%) of post neonatal deaths (10 of 51 deaths). All of the 10 deaths due to SIDS in 1999 were in the post neonatal period. The number of SIDS deaths may be under-counted since some deaths, which were under investigation when this report was prepared, may later be coded as SIDS.
Top