Infant mortality and causes of infant deaths in 2018, in Adana, Turkey

OBJECTIVE: Understanding the etiologies of infant deaths and predicting risk begins with defining cases correctly. The collection and analysis of reliable statistical data are an essential part of comprehensive investigations on local and national levels. MATERIAL AND METHODS: This was a descriptive study. Diagnosis as a cause of infant death and other factors were examined. Data were analyzed using the SPSS 17.0 program. Frequencies and means were computed. RESULTS: According to the data of 35 227 live births and 288 infant deaths during the year, the infant mortality rate of Adana province was 8.2 per thousand. We found that the most common cause of infant death was sepsis (26.0%). Other causes of infant death included prematurity and problems related to prematurity (12.6%), congenital heart disease and complications (12.6%), respiratory problems (11.9%), congenital anomaly (9.8%), immaturity (<750 g birth weight or 24 gestational weeks) (8.4%), and sudden death (6.0%). CONCLUSION: In our descriptive study, we presented the causes of infant mortality to minimize infant mortality due to preventable causes. Efforts to reduce infant mortality should be supported and improved by health management. Emphasis on prenatal care is one of the important things to reduce premature births.