Child mortality and classification of its preventability by skin color or ethnicity in Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil

Abstract

The epidemiological study aimed to investigate the mortality of children under one year and the classification of preventability by skin color or ethnicity in Mato Grosso do Sul state in the period 2005-2013 retrieved from the Mortality and Live Births Information Systems. The annual child mortality coefficient and the description of deaths by components and by group of preventable, ill-defined and non-preventable causes for the three triennia were elaborated. The child mortality coefficient declined for all skin color or ethnicity categories, with a predominance of brown and black children. The early neonatal component had higher mortality rates for all categories, except for the indigenous population, which recorded predominance of the post-neonatal component. Deaths were mainly due to preventable causes, and they were not homogeneous among skin color or ethnicity categories. Deaths from ill-defined causes predominated among indigenous and brown children. The investigation of deaths pointed to differences in the components of mortality and preventable causes according to racial and ethnic contour, which could contribute to the direction of public policies that qualify the mother and child care network, especially for ethnic minorities.

Key words
Child mortality; Race or ethnic group distribution; Information systems; Mother and child health