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Indonesia's infant mortality rate declined to 64' infannt deaths perl ,000 live births in l99l _ Adolescent mothers. women who first married underthe age of lS. and mothers who did not obtain antenatal care and tetanusimmunizations were at greater risk of experiencing an infant death. In addition.levels of infant mortality were substantially higher when births were spacedcloser together. For example, the infant mortality rate among adolescentmothers was l25 when births were spaced less than 24 .months apart and 96when births were separated by more than two years. Roughly half of all infantdeaths occur within the first 28 days of life in Indonesia. Findings indicate thatmothers who were less than 20 years of age. who did not have antenatal careand tetanus immunizations. and who spaced births less than 24 months apartwere more likely to experience a neonatal death. With the exception ofantenatal care, these factors were also associated with elevated levels ofpostnatal mortality (infant deaths that occur when infants are between l-l2months of age). However, postneonatal mortality was also higher amongmothers who gave birth at home rather than in a health facility, who wereassisted at delivery by non-medical staff and who had lower levels ofeducational attainment. Postneonatal mortality is determined by a broaderarray of program and socioeconomic measures than neonatal mortality. andmay be reduced more readily through Family Planning/Mother and ChildHealth (FPAHCH) service interventions. In order to reduce both neonatal andpostneonatal mortality. greater effort should be made to increase the age at first birth. space births more than two years. and attain higher tetanus coveragelevels among expectant mothers. |
