Determinants of Neonatal and Post-neonatal Mortality in Pakistan

In: The Pakistan development review: PDR, Band 41, Heft 4II, S. 723-744

Abstract

Ensuring the survival and well being of children is a concern
of families, communities and nations throughout the world. Since the
turn of the 20th century infant and child mortality in more developed
countries has steadily declined and, currently, has been reduced to
almost minimal levels. In contrast, although infant and child mortality
has declined in the past three decades in most less developed countries,
the pace of change and the magnitude of improvement vary considerably
from one country to another. The inverse relationship between
socio-economic variables of the parents and infant and child mortality
is well established by several studies [Muhuri (1995); Forste (1994);
Hobcraft, et al. (1984); Caldwell (1979); Sathar (1985, 1987)] and it
holds true irrespective of the overall level of mortality in the
national populations [Ruzicka (1989)]. The influence of parental
education on infant and child health and mortality has proved to be
universally significant [Bicego and Boerma (1993); Caldwell, et al.
(1990)]. The father's education, mother's education and their work
status each have independent effects upon child survival in developing
countries [Sandiford, et al. (1995); Forste (1994); Caldwell, et al.
(1983)]. Economic conditions of the household also help in explaining
the variation in infant and child mortality. The nature of housing,
diet, access to and availability of water and sanitary conditions as
well as medical attention all depend on the economic conditions of the
household. For example, poor families may reside in crowded, unhygienic
housing and, thus, suffer from infectious disease associated with
inadequate and contaminated water supplies and with poor sanitation
[Esrey and Habicht (1986)].