Modern day society is confronted with several issues where health care problem occupies a significant proportion. Among the health care issues, infant birth and death indices are of considerable importance. They reflect the impact of underlying abnormalities associated with a network of complications which lead to adverse outcomes.
In such context, the present description is concerned with highlighting about infant mortality rate (IMR). Briefly, IMR represents the number of deaths of infants who are below one year per 1,000 live births. It is mainly considered as the indicator to determine the health level (“The World Fact Book,” n.d). It is also utilized to evaluate a given nation’s well being as factors that affect population health could influence infant mortality rates (Reproductive Health, 2013). The IMR varies from one country to the other. For instance, for the year 2013, the IMR of the United States is estimated to be 5.90 as per the information given by the central intelligence agency (CIA) (“The World Fact Book,”n.d). In the Unites States alone, nearly 25,000 infants were reported to die each year. It was found that the country with a better IMR is Monaco and that with the worst IMR is Afghanistan. They have the IMR values to be as 1.81 and 119.41, respectively (“The World Fact Book,” n.d).
The IMR variation could be attributed to several reasons. Firstly, children may be born with serious birth abnormalities (Reproductive Health, 2013). This could in turn happen when certain nutrition requirements are not met. Say, a daily intake of 400 micrograms of folic acid. It is a B vitamin and sufficient amounts in the body one month prior to and during pregnancy could offer protection against birth defects related to brain and spinal cord (Reproductive Health, 2013).
The second reason for IMR could be Preterm Birth related abnormalities. This condition occurs when a pregnant women gives birth to a infant before 37 week gestation period (Reproductive Health, 2013). It was reported to affect approximately 500,000 infants annually, at the ratio of 1:9 in countries like the United States. It was also considered to be the contributor of childhood neurological disabilities. There are certain problems that are encountered by a baby with a premature birth. These include hearing defects, vision problems, developmental delays, cerebral palsy, feeding abnormalities and breathing problems (Reproductive Health, 2013). Child with these problems is at a higher risk of death. However, pregnant women could overcome preterm birth defects if they avoid smoking, alcohol consumption and illegal drug usage, choose timely prenatal care once pregnancy starts till the end and seeking medical advice for warning symptoms of preterm labor (Reproductive Health, 2013).
Thirdly, IMR cause could be linked with pregnancy complications (Reproductive Health, 2013). These are health abnormalities that are encountered during pregnancy. They may appear mild, severe or fatal. Here, the health of mother and baby are known to be affected both physically and mentally. Some of the conditions include anemia, urinary tract infections, depression due to altered mood, feeling of worthlessness, changes in appetite, obesity and increase in body weight, hypertension , gestational diabetes and Hyperemesis Gravidarum, a condition of nausea and vomiting during the early 3 months of pregnancy (Reproductive Health, 2013). In contrast, some women could also pose a risk of maternal complications before pregnancy. So, it is essential for women to seek proper health consultation before and during pregnancy to minimize the risk of complications associated with pregnancy (Reproductive Health, 2013)..
Therefore, it may be concluded that IMR with multiple risk contributing agents is a severe health care problem in the society. Pregnant women at risk could need timely precautionary measures from health care professionals to avoid IMR.
References
Reproductive Health: Infant Mortality.(2013).
The World Fact Book. (n.d). Web.