All issues > Volume 10(5); 1967

Original Article

J Korean Pediatr Soc. 1967;10(5):275-280. Published online May 31, 1967.

A Study of Infant Mortality in Korea

Chai Hy Lee¹

¹Dept, of Survey and Training, National Institute of Health

Abstract

The infant mortality rate is mainly estimated from vital statistics or sample surveys. There were various local surveys or observations to estimate partial infant death rates. Observing such surveys, or records, the Korean infant mortality during 1960 to 1965 could be concluded to be as high as 60-70 per 1,000 births. The chronological infant mortality rates and the level of development of public health project activities show a closer correlation than the differential infant mortality which may be observed between urban and rural areas. In a area where public health project activities are progressive, the infant mortality rate is significantly reduced as in the case of pilot project, Kaejong Myun. After the establishment of the public health center in Kaejong Myun in 1956, the infant mortality rates declined rapidly from a pre-war level of 98.6 to 63.6. Furthermore in 1961-1965 it showed a drastic drop to 25.3. It is quite interesting that urban porverty areas show a higher infant mortality rate than the rural or fishing area where no health services are available. In 1962 to 1964 the infant mortality rate in the urban porverty area were estimated by one observer, as 84-108, whereas the rural or fishing area lacking health services were estimated by another observer as 35-60. It is reasonable to consider that the nation-wide family planning projects, which were initiated in 1962, have been contributing to the gradual decline of infant mortality rates in Korea. There seems to be a correlation between place of delivery and infant mortality. There was about 84% home delivery in the urban area, 96.0% home delivery in the archipelago, and 77% home delivery in Kaejong Myun. Observations on the causes of the infant deaths indicate that most of the infant deaths could be prevented by modern medicine. The reason for the stress on maternal and child health is demonstrated in that about 70% of the infant deaths occur at the neo-natal period. Considering the above, various measures should be taken to accelerate the declining infant mortality rate. Particularly, it is recommended that the network of nation-wide health centers should be enlarged, and the efforts of maternal and child health and family planning projects should be combined so that the health worker could do more efficient work in considering the family as a unit. In view of the fact that the M.C.H. population group is as much as one third of the age distribution of the population, a strategic approach to the maternal and child health project should be envisioned so that a lowered rate of infant mortality could be observable in the near future in Korea.

Keywords :