%0 Journal Article
%T A Socio- Demographic Profile of Infant Deaths in A Tribal Block of South Gujarat
%A Amul Patel
%A Pradeep Kumar
%A Naresh Godara
%A Vikas K Desai
%J National Journal of Community Medicine
%D 2011
%I National Journal of Community Medicine
%X With progressive reduction in infant mortality rate (IMR) and advent of technology, socio a?กฐ demographic determinants assume more importance (than biological), more so in remote and inaccessible areas, which incidentally also record high IMR. Study was carried out in a tribal block of South Gujarat to generate socio- demographic profile for 48 infant deaths reported during one year. Data was collected through house to house survey on a designed questionnaire. Amongst 48 death cases, literacy rates amongst mothers and fathers were 64.6 and 75% respectively. Occupation wise 81.3% fathers and 52.1% mothers were farm laborer. Joint families were in 81.3% cases and 85.4% belonged to lower social class. Teenage pregnancy was found in 56.3% cases. Age of 25% mothersa?  at birth was below 20 years. First birth order was found in 47.9% cases. Birth spacing was less than 2 years in 60.4% cases. It is concluded that improving literacy, increasing age at pregnancy, increasing birth spacing (> 2 years) along with overall socioeconomic improvement of community can help in attaining the further reduction in infant mortality.
%K Infant deaths
%K socio-epidemiological profile
%K socioeconomic status
%K literacy
%K teenage pregnancy
%U http://njcmindia.org/uploads/2-3_399-403.pdf