The infant mortality of children living in Botucatu, SP, Brazil, in 1987 is studied. In order to establish the risk profile for mortality, an additional risk factor (AR) was calculated on the basis some variables selected by means of a case control study. The results showed an AR for death of 15.58, 11.63, 8.50 and 4.04 respectively for the groups of preterm gestation, low birth, absense of household water supply and insufficient maternal educational level, respectively. It was shown that there is a significant difference in socio-economic status between the families of survivors and those of nonsurvivors. This fact suggests that the best strategy for overcoming the high infant mortality of the low income group is by improving their socio-economic condition so that they can enjoy similar capacity to consume goods and services, in quantity and quality, as the high socio-economic group.
Infant mortality; Risk; Socioeconomic factors