This is the first of many fact sheets that will be published at regular intervals. Introduction to Infant Mortality Infant mortality rates are often used as an indicator of a country s state of health development. During the last century, significant decreases in infant mortality rates occurred world-wide, particularly in industrialized countries. This fact sheet examines temporal trends in, and the current state of, Canadian infant mortality. Unless referenced otherwise, infant mortality statistics are taken from the publication Mortality Summary List of Causes, 1995.
Infant mortality refers to the death of a live born infant within the first year of life.
Infant mortality rates are usually based on the number of infant deaths per 1000 live births in any given year, but are sometimes based on the number of infant deaths per 1000 population less than one year old. It should be noted that infant mortality rates are actually ratios, because infants who die in the year of interest, but were born in the previous year, are counted in the numerator but not in the denominator. The two leading causes of neonatal death were conditions originating in the perinatal period and congenital anomalies. With the exception of Japan, Canada has had the most dramatic decline in infant mortality rates in the past 35 years. 4 International differences in infant mortality rates must be interpreted with caution, as there are significant international variations in clinical practices and the methods used to register live births.