What is Infant Mortality Rate?

The number of deaths of infants under one year of age per thousand live births in a year is termed as infant mortality rate. It is an important indicator of assessing the well-being and healthcare of the population of a nation. In India in 2011, the total infant mortality rate was 47.57 deaths per 1000 live births. This rate is also determined on the basis of sex. Male infant mortality rate is 46.18 deaths in comparison with 49.14 female deaths per thousand live births in India.

In a recent study by 'Save the Children', an international NGO, it was found that despite ten years of rapid economic growth, India still has the highest infant mortality rate in the world. In India, more than four lakhs newborn babies die within the first day after birth every year. The scenario of infant morbidity in India is worse than what it is in Bangladesh, which is among the poorest nations in the world. Furthermore, India also has the highest rate of children dying under the age of five years; its one child in every 15 seconds.

The findings of the study say that neonatal mortality rate and chances of survival vary from one Indian state to another. In Orissa, almost 96 infants die out of every 1000 live births whereas in Kerala, it is 14 per 100 live births.

Causes of High Infant Mortality Rate in India

Maternal Age

Owing to the alarming number of child marriages, the rate of teen pregnancy is significantly high in India. The infant mortality rate is higher among adolescent mothers than mothers, who are in their 20s. The lower the age of the mother at the time of conception, the higher is the risk of infant mortality. Lack of Prenatal Care

With various social, economical and medical constraints, most teen mothers, especially those in rural areas hardly get any prenatal care. The lack of medical guidance causes poor or no monitoring of to-be-mother and her foetus. This heightens the risk of pregnancy and delivery complications that can lead to various birth defects in the baby as well as the infant and increase cases of maternal mortality.

Low Birth Weight (LBW)

Babies that weigh less than 2000 grams have much higher risk of mortality than those that weigh more than 2000 grams.

Poor Healthcare Facilities

The risk of infant mortality is higher in mothers, who receive poor healthcare services. Institutionalized births or homebirths under the supervision of a skilled and experienced midwife can reduce the neonatal death rate.