Causes of Death in Children under- Five Years Old at AL-Batool Teaching Hospital

Abstract

Background: Child  mortality is usually used as appointer  of community health. A decreasing in mortality is possible with increasing the interventions that targeting the important causes of death.

Objective: To assess death causes in children below five years old.

Patients and Methods: A descriptive retrospect study depend on   revision  of                                                                                files in AL- Batool teaching hospital. data was collected during a period of 30 months from 1st of February ,2013 to 30th of November, 2015.by using a well structured  questionnaire  designed for the study. Date of death, sex and age, and the cause of death were collected. the recorded .Death causes  were classified according to the International Classification of Disease version10 (ICD-10). Stillbirths were excluded.

Results: A 500  deaths  were listed, ( 254 boys  and  246girls    ).  About 198 (39.6%) of deaths  were  listed  as infants death (29 days-11months),while 172(39.4%)recorded  as  neonatal deaths(0-28days),and 130(26%)as children deaths(1-4years). For the  neonate , prematurity/LBW(65)37.79% and neonatal sepsis(47)27.32% were the most important causes of death.For the infants, pneumonia(64)32.23% and sepsis(53)26.76%were the most important causes of death  and in the children age group, diarrhea(46)35. 38%and pneumonia (29) 22.30%. were the leading causes of death.

Conclusion: Together death causes in children below  five years old were pneumonia &sepsis.