| Abstract: | The editorial on perinatal and infant mortality: a worldwideissue, Eur J Public Hlth 1996; 6: 1578, appropriatelylinks reductions in perinatal and infant mortality with improvementsin socioeconomic status in developing and developed countries.However, in summary discussions of the worldwide trends of infantdeaths, certain critical issues that also influence the ratesof perinatal and infant mortality deserve mentioning, even ifbriefly. These critical issues include race/ethnic status, thepre-conception health status of the mother, the past obstetricshistory, the very important effect of low birth weight and pretermdelivery, the effect of maternal education and the relationshipbetween maternal mortality/morbidity and infant survival. Ibriefly review the relationship between infant deaths and thesecritical issues. Discussing these critical issues in summaryarticles may help advance policy and programme debate on howto reduce the rate of infant deaths worldwide effectively. |
