An analysis of pathological causes of death in 417 children under two years of age in Kingston and St. Andrew Jamaica over a two-year period between 1968 and 1970 - abstract

ABSTRACT

An analysis has been made of the causes of death of 417 children on whom autopsies were done as part of the PAHO/WHO Inter-American Investigation of Mortality in Childhood. Only adequately documented autopsies are included. Sixty-three of the deaths occurred in the first 24 hours, 80 in the next 6 days and 50 between 7 and 27 days. There were 87 deaths between 28 days and six months of age. The remaining 137 deaths occurred between 6 months and two years. The cases dying under 7 days are not representative of the KSAC Area as the majority of deaths occurring in the Victoria Jubilee Hospital are not included. Infections accounted for 56 percent of the deaths in the age group 7-27 days. Congenital malformations were responible for 38 percent of the deaths in this age group. Of those dying under two years of age, there were four main causes gastroenteritis in 34 percent, pneumonia in 16 percent and malnutrition in 10 percent and congenital malformations in 18.5 percent. Infections are major causes of mortality in 43.4 percent of all autopsied cases under 2 years of age (AU)