BIBLIOGRAPHIC INPUT SHEET TEMPORARY Patterns of mortality ...

188 Patter w8 Motalityin Childhood
Pi.'82. Mortality in Children Under 5 Years of Agefrom All Causes and from Nutritional Deficiency
and. Immaturity in 24 Areas of 15 Projects.
DEATHS PER 100.000 POPULATION
0 000 2000 3000
' I
ALL CAUSES
It SALVADO RURAL 9 _"
VIACHA
itAPA,
'ANSALVAO-
SANJUANRURAL
CHACORURAL m u m
SAN JUAN 1UIUIAE
IISISIINCIA
fRANCA
iN1
DEATHSPER100.000 POPULATION
4000 3000 5300 0 1000 2000
NUTRITIONAL DEFICIENCY
3000
AND IMMATURITY
$i0 PAULO
CALl
CARIAGINA
"IDlLLIN
CHILIONUNAL
I. Polio COMMUNIIIIU
SAIIAU0
SANJUAN IM1V
IlliRO Polio ICIIYL
KIUUSIOUNSL.ANDIW
SAN IRANCILCO
Ci1110O11li S11UI11N11111
UMiEllOORI t
mi NUTRITIONAL
DEFICIENCY
IMMATUIRITY
In the Sherbrooke project in Canada and
in the two areas of the California project
immaturity was an underlying or associated
cause of 45.0, 49.1, and 50.9 per cent respectively
of the deaths of children under 5
years of age. Nutritional deficiency was
rarely assigned in these areas, which had
very low rates from all causes. In these two
projects more than 60 per cent of the deaths
were in the neonatal period (61.7 per cent
in Sherbrooke and 63.5 in California). The
situation was thus distinctly different from
that found in the Latin American )rojects.
As can be seen in Figure 82, in areas
where the overall death rates for children
under 5 years of age were high, the rates
were high also for nutritional deficiency. In
areas with low death rates, nutritional deficiency
was less important and immaturity
was assigned in a high proportion of the
deaths. Thus reduction of mortality in
childhood is dependent on measures to prevent
both of these serious conditions.
The data for the Latin American projects
suggest that the problem of nutritional deficiency
begins with the future mother.
There is clearly a need for measures to prevent
low birth weights as well as for nutriti
on ans aieatp
growth and development.
Since the role of immaturity was discussed
in detail in Chapter VI (Neonatal
Mortality) the present chapter will deal
principally with nutritional deficiency, as
the outstanding and most serious health
problem of children in many areas of Latin
America.