Abstract
The validity of the official information on the cause of infant deaths was studied in the Brazilian cities of Porto Alegre and Pelotas in 1985. Using data collected for a population-based case-control study of infant mortality due to infectious diseases or malnutrition, a comparison was made between the causes of death reported on the death certificates and those obtained after a careful review of case-notes and a medical interview with the parents of the decreased infants. Official death certificates showed an excess of deaths attribute to bronchopneumonia (ICD 485X) and septicemia (ICD 038.9), and an underestimation of the number of deaths due to diarrheal diseases (ICD 009.1) and of sudden infant deaths (ICD 798.0). The overall rate of agreement between official and revised certificates, in terms of groups of causes of death, was only 27.9%. Lower respiratory infections, which were the leading infectious cause of infant death according to official statistics, were superseded by diarrheal diseases after this revision.
| Translated title of the contribution | Evaluation of the quality of information on the basic cause of death of infants in Rio Grande do Sul (Brazil) |
|---|---|
| Original language | Portuguese |
| Pages (from-to) | 207-213 |
| Number of pages | 7 |
| Journal | Revista de Saude Publica |
| Volume | 23 |
| Issue number | 3 |
| State | Published - Jun 1989 |
| Externally published | Yes |
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health