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Imagine having a baby and, unfortunately, that baby dies before reaching the age of one. As sad as this is to read about, this is the reality that faces many people worldwide. This occurrence is known as infant mortality. To measure how often this occurs, the Infant Mortality Rate is used. But how exactly is this defined? Are there advantages or limitations to the infant mortality rate? How do countries rank around the world according to this measurement? Let's find out!
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Jetzt kostenlos anmeldenImagine having a baby and, unfortunately, that baby dies before reaching the age of one. As sad as this is to read about, this is the reality that faces many people worldwide. This occurrence is known as infant mortality. To measure how often this occurs, the Infant Mortality Rate is used. But how exactly is this defined? Are there advantages or limitations to the infant mortality rate? How do countries rank around the world according to this measurement? Let's find out!
Infant mortality rate (IMR) is perhaps one of the most commonly used measures of development. In addition to being an indicator on its own, it also acts as a proxy for indicators of economic, social or environmental development, such as the level of health in a country.
The infant mortality rate is the number of deaths that occur in children under the age of one per 1,000 live births per year (or given period)1,2.
In the strictest sense, the IMR is not actually a rate. Instead, it is the measure of the probability of a child born in a specific time period dying before their first birthday and expressed as a rate3. The IMR does not include stillbirths. These are recorded/measured separately.
Stillbirth refers to fetuses that die at or after 20 weeks of pregnancy.4
The infant mortality rate is calculated by using the following formula:
(D0-1 / B) X 1000
Where:
D0-1 = Number of deaths in the first year of life
B = Total number of live births
D0-1 = 10,200
B = 235,000
IMR = (10,200 / 235,000) x 1000
= 0.043 x 1000 = 43
Therefore, IMR = 43 per 1,000
The infant mortality rate is affected by several external factors. Below are some of the factors that can have an impact on infant deaths and influence the infant mortality rate.
| Factor | Details |
| Age of the child bearer at the time of childbirth | Studies have shown that infant deaths are higher among mothers under the age of 20 and over 40. |
| Multiple births | The greater the number of births for a mother increases the infant mortality rate. This is because there is less recovery time for the mother. There may also be food shortages for families with multiple children. |
| Access to prenatal care | Access to proper prenatal care reduces the IMR. |
| Level of nutrition | Many infant deaths are tied to a lack of proper nutrition. Higher levels of nutrition result in lower IMR. |
| Level of sanitation and Water Quality | Poor sanitation and Water Quality are significant causes of infant mortality in less economically developed countries. Poor Water Quality leads to a lack of proper hydration, which can lead to death in an infant. Poor Water Quality also limits hygiene, which can also result in infant death. |
| Fertility rate | A reduction in the fertility rate results in lower IMR. Higher IMR can also reduce fertility rates. |
| Income per capita | Higher per capita income results in lower IMR. |
| Female participation in the labour force | Generally, the more women are involved in the workforce, the fewer children they will have. This reduces the IMR. |
| Female literacy rates | Women with higher levels of education tend to give birth later and seek better health care. Therefore, higher female literacy rates lead to a lower IMR. |
Table 1 - Factors affecting infant mortality rate
Fig. 1 - the relationship between fertility rates and infant mortality rates 1950-2010
Globally, as of 2015, the average infant mortality is five times smaller than in 19505. While this represents significant global progress towards reducing infant mortality, it's essential to recognise that there are spatial variations in the infant mortality rate. Typically, more economically developed countries tend to have lower IMRs than less economically developed countries. This is because the latter usually have issues related to health care, nutrition and food insecurity, and high birth and fertility rates.
Take a look at the overview below:6
Fig. 2 - spatial variations in global infant mortality rates
The United Kingdom experienced a fairly notable decline in its infant mortality rate from 23 per 1,000 in 1960 to 4 per 1,000 in 2020, ranking 34th on the global IMR listing7. The significant decrease can be attributed to improvements in health care, particularly prenatal and neonatal care. Additionally, the IMR has been mostly stable from 2014 to 2020.
Despite this substantial decline over the past 60 years, the UK actually has a higher IMR than many other high-income nations that also have universal healthcare. Furthermore, there are disparities in infant mortality between the wealthier and the poorer areas in the UK, i.e., infant mortality is higher in poor neighbourhoods than in affluent neighbourhoods. The factors that influence the IMR in the UK include, but are not limited to, maternal age, low birth weight and babies being born before 24 weeks gestation (developing in the womb).
Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), also sometimes called "cot death", refers to the unexpected, unexplained, or sudden death of a healthy baby under the age of 1. SIDS mainly occurs in the first 6 months of life and is more common in boys than girls. It typically occurs while the baby is sleeping, however, it can also occur while the baby is awake. There are about 200 cases of SIDS annually in the UK.
Let's examine some of the advantages of using infant mortality rates as a development measure.
As with any development indicator, the infant mortality rate has its disadvantages. Below, we shall explore some of the limitations of the infant mortality rate.
Fig. 3 - China's one-child policy facts and figures
The infant mortality rate refers to the number of deaths which occur in children under the age of 1, per 1,000 live births over a given time period (usually a year).
Iceland has the lowest infant mortality rate.
The infant mortality rate does not include stillbirths.
A high mortality rate is that which is experienced by low-income countries, averaged at 47 deaths per 1,000 live births.
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SIGNUP SIGNUPFlashcards in Infant Mortality Rate10
Start learningStillbirths refer to:
Babies that dies 1 week after their birth.
Which of the following statements is FALSE?
The infant mortality rate does not include stillbirths.
Which of the following statements is TRUE?
Lower female literacy rates lower the infant mortality rate.
True or False:
Having multiple births increases the infant mortality rate.
True.
In 2020, which country had the lowest infant mortality rate?
The United Kingdom.
In 2020, which of the following regions had the lowest average infant mortality rate?
Latine America and the Caribbean.
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Explanations 
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A variety of factors affect infant mortality rate, including, the child bearer's age at time of delivery, multiple births, access to prenatal care, nutritional levels, water and sanitation levels, fertility rate, per capita income, female labour force participation and female literacy rates, amongst others.