Stillbirth is common in underdeveloped countries, with approximately 500,000 women dying during pregnancy, childbirth, or within the first month after childbirth each year. The infant mortality rate varies greatly between countries, with malnutrition and infectious diseases being the main causes of death. Per capita income and advances in technology can decrease infant mortality rates.
Although many developed countries have drastically reduced many of the risk factors associated with having a baby, stillbirth is sadly still extremely common in underdeveloped countries. The risks to mother and child during childbirth will never completely disappear, even in the richest and most developed countries. Each year, approximately 500,000 women die during pregnancy, childbirth, or within the first month after childbirth.
Less than 20% of maternal deaths occur during childbirth. Most maternal deaths occur during the first month after delivery. This indicates that the care a mother and baby receive immediately after delivery is vital to the health of both.
The death rate of babies that are born is usually called the infant mortality rate. This refers to the number of babies per 1000 births who die before reaching one year. Many countries are able to provide this information, but poor nations often lack the internal programs to monitor and track these numbers.
The 2009 World Factbook lists the country of Angola as the country with the worst infant mortality rate at 180 deaths for every 1000 live births. The best infant mortality rate is found in Singapore, with an infant mortality rate of only 2.31 deaths per 1000 live births. In comparison, the United States stands at 6.9 deaths for every 1000 live births. However, various countries have different methods for determining stillbirth rates, so it is difficult to make easy comparisons.
This is due to the number of classifications for death in childbirth, depending on the child’s age at the time of death. Perinatal mortality refers to fetuses after 22 weeks of gestation and neonates up to the seventh day after birth of the child. Neonatal mortality refers to infants up to 28 days old. Postneonatal mortality includes those babies who live longer than 28 days but less than one year. A further category, infant mortality, refers to children who are up to five years of age when they die.
The reasons for death in childbirth are numerous, but the vast majority stem from malnutrition and the spread of infectious diseases. The most common reason for infant mortality in today’s society is pneumonia. Other reasons include dehydration, malaria, and sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), among others.
There is a very clear relationship between a country’s per capita income and its stillbirth rate. As per capita income increases, the infant mortality rate decreases. Also, as advances in technology are made and more emphasis is placed on caring for mothers and babies during childbirth, infant mortality rates decrease. According to the United Nations, the world infant mortality rate was 152 in 1950 and is projected to be just 43 by 2015.
Protect your devices with Threat Protection by NordVPN
