All issues > Volume 37(9); 1994

Original Article

J Korean Pediatr Soc. 1994;37(9):1264-1272. Published online September 15, 1994.

Study on Child Mortality among Korean Children

Beom Soo BS Park¹, Moo Song MS Lee², Seung Pil SP Jeong³, Yoon Ok YO Ahn⁴

¹Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, Chungnam National University, Taejeon, Korea
²Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, Ulsan University, Seoul, Korea
³Department of Family Medicine, College of Medicine, Ulsan University, Seoul, Korea
⁴Department of Family Medicine, College of Medicine, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea

Abstract

To estimate the child and infant mortality rates among Korean children, a mortality survey was carried out in the province of Kyongsangnam¡¤buk-do. The study popolation are the beneficiaries of Korea Medical Insurance Coorporation(KMIC), Kyongsangnam¡¤buk-do area, among which the 3,867 and 1767 deaths occurred from Januray, 1989 to December, 1990 in Kyongsangnam-do area and from January, 1991 to December, 1991 in Kyongsangbuk-do area respectively. We reviewed the data to confirm the causes of death. These were based on the death certificates and medical utilization records before dying which were avaliable through the computerized databases on medical care utility of KMIC. The survey were conducted along three steps. At first, the death certificates were examined, as a second step, medical utilization records were reviewed, and finally direct contacts to the family members of the deceased were done. As a result, 115 deaths were found under 20 years of age. Using them, age specific mortalities and causes of death were estimated. Mortality rate in this area was estimated 129 per 100,000 person-years during 1 month to 11 months of age, 67 during 1 year to 4 years of age, 23 during 5 years to 9 years of age, 10 during 10 years to 14 years of age, and 29 during 15 years to 19 years of age, respectively. And the frequent causes of death were congenital anomalies, central nervous system (CNS) diseases, certain condition originating from perinatal period during 1 month to 11 months of age; accidnets, congenital anomalies, malignancies, CNS diseases, and pneumonia or bronchiolitis during 1 to 4 years of age, accidents, malignancies, CNS diseases, and congenital anomalies during 5 to 14 years of age; and accidents, suicide, malignancies, and CNS diseases during 15 to 19 years of age.

Keywords :Mortality in children, Korean children