The investigation of the spacial distribution of deaths caused by malformations could be useful in environmental health vigilance programs. Patterns of deaths by malformations and uncertain causes in Brazilian States (MS, MT, GO, MG, SP, PR, SC e RS) and Distrito Federal were studied, from 2000 to 2004.The observed values were obtained from the Brazilian Ministry of Health Mortality Information System (SIM). A Bayesian model that allowed for space-time interaction was applied. Many micro-regions having low rates for deaths by malformations presented high values for the deaths by uncertain causes, and the deaths by uncertain causes prejudice the identification of the micro-regions having rates of death by malformations higher than the expected, indicative of the existence of risk factors for those illnesses, present in the environment.
Malformation; mortality; information system; bayesian methods; spatial analysis; temporal analysis
