Bangladesh 1993-1994 Demographic and Health ... - Measure DHS

RESIDENCEUrbanRuralFigure 7.3Under-Five Mortality bySelected Background CharacteristicsDIVISIONBarisalChlttagongDhakzKhulnaRajshahii135147167157EDUCATIONNo EducationPrim. IncompPrim. Comp,Secondary+.... 1105] gOJ 13450 100 15011702O0Deaths per 1,000 Live BirthsNote: Rates are for the tO-year period preceding surveyBDHS 1993-94Differences in early childhood mortality by education of the mother are large. Children born tomothers who have at least some secondary education are about half as likely to die before their fifthbirthday as those born to mothers who have had no education (90 vs. 170 per 1,000 births, respectively).This educational advantage is apparent for the mortality rates in every age group; for example, infantmortality rates are 113 per 1,0(30 births to women with no education, compared to only 58 per 1,000 birthsto women with at least some secondary education.7.4 Demographic Differentials in Infant and Child MortalityThe relationship between early childhood mortality and various demographic variables is examinedin Table 7.4 and Figure 7.4 for the ten-year period preceding the survey. The results show that, asexpected, male children are more likely to die in infancy than female children (107 for males vs. 93 forfemales). The difference is especially pronounced in the neonatal period, whereas posmeonatal mortalityrates are almost identical for males and females. The gender differential reverses in childhood; betweenage 1 and 4, more females die than males. The same pattern is found in the Matlab area, where neonatalmortality rates in the comparison area in 1993 were 67 for males and 60 for females (1CDDR, B, 1994:5).Since childhood mortality is typically about equal among females and males, this pattern suggests thatthere may be gender-related differences in childrearing practices or in treatment of illnesses duringchildhood that favor boys over girls.The relationship between childhood mortality and mother's age at birth generally shows the expectedU-shaped pattern with higher mortality for children of younger (less than age 20) and older mothers.For example, the infant mortality rate for children of mothers who were less than age 20 at the timeof the child's birth (120 per 1,000) is one-third higher than the rate for children whose mothers were 20-29at the time they gave birth (89 per 1,000). Among the children of mothers age 30-39, the infant mortalityrate is again high (100 per 1,000). Exceptions to the U-shaped pattern are neonatal mortality, which ishigh for very young mothers but does not rise again for older mothers, and childhood mortality, whichrises with the age of the mother.95