The classification of infant deaths in Belo Horizonte: the use of the updated list of causes of death that could be avoided by Brazilian National Health Service interventions

Objectives:

to examine deaths among infants under one year of age living in Belo Horizonte according to the avoidability criteria proposed in the Updated List of Causes of Death that could be avoided by Brazilian National Health Service Intervention.

Methods:

a descriptive study was carried out using data from the Mortality Information and Live Births databases of the Brazilian Ministry of Health (DATASUS), between 2006 and 2011. The basic causes of death were classified according to avoidability criteria. Mortality and proportional mortality coefficients were calculated for components and principal groups of causes.

Results:

the infant mortality rate decreased by 18.7% during the period studied. Rates for avoidable causes declined in the following subgroups: reducible by adequate diagnosis and treatment (38.8%) and reducible by adequate care for the fetus and newborn (30.6%). The reducible by adequate care for the pregnant woman and action to promote health related to care subgroups increased by 17.1% and 22.7%), respectively.

Conclusions:

the use of the list made it possible to identify which deaths could be prevented and to assess which category requires greater investment to reduce mortality. It was shown to be especially applicable to avoiding deaths among newborns weighing less than 1000 grams.

Infant mortality; Cause of death; Unified Health System