The objective was to analyze the quality of the information systems for live births (SINASC) and mortality (SIM) based on database linkages. SINASC contained 11,182 certificates of live birth (CLB) from Jan. 1, 2000, to Dec. 31, 2002, and the SIM database recorded 233 death certificates (DC) for infants (< one year of age) from Jan. 1, 2000, to Dec. 31, 2003, 207 infant death investigations from Jan. 1, 2000, to Dec. 31, 2004, and 17 CLB attached to infant death investigations. Each DC was matched with a CLB through manual review. Of the 11,182 births in SINASC, 69 duplicate CLB and 3 CLB without the mother's name were eliminated. The 211 SIM/infant death investigations showed the following: 25 CLB (35.2% of deaths), 33 CLB (55.9% of deaths), 57 CLB (75% of deaths), and 4 CLB (80% of deaths). For 92 DC (43.6% of 211 deaths), matching was not possible, since there was no CLB. Infant death investigations were an important complementary source of 53 DC and 17 CLB. The study contributed to evaluation of the data quality and identification of flaws, favoring the reliability of birth and infant death records.
Birth Certificates; Death Certificates; Information Systems
