Identifying children with high mortality risk


 

Publication Date: January 1999

Publisher: International Institute for Population Sciences; East-West Center

Author(s): Minja Kim Choe

Research Area: Health; Population and demographics

Type: Report

Coverage: India

Abstract:

NFHS data on infant and child mortality indicate that seven groups of children in India are particularly vulnerable to mortality risks. These are: children born less than 24 months after a previous birth, children in families where an older sibling has died, children born to mothers less than 20 years old, children of illiterate mothers, children in very poor households, children in households whose head belongs to a scheduled caste or tribe, and children in households without access to a flush or pit toilet. Intervention programs to improve child survival should focus on these high-risk groups. The NFHS Bulletin is a series of four-page policy briefs summarizing secondary analysis of data from the 1992-93 National Family Health Survey (NFHS) in India. The NFHS collected information from nearly 90,000 Indian women on a range of demographic and health topics. Conducted under the auspices of the Indian Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, the survey provides national and state-level estimates of fertility, infant and child mortality, family planning practice, maternal and child health, and the utilization of services available to mothers and children. IIPS conducted the survey in cooperation with consulting organizations and 18 population research centers throughout India. The East-West Center and a U.S.-based consulting firm, Macro International, provided technical assistance, and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) provided financial support.