Mortality rates among infants and young children born at home or in hospitals or clinics in rural Bophuthatswana

Abstract

Because the infant mortality rate in Gelukspan, Bophuthatswana, is relatively low, a study was conducted among 1,151 children born at home or in hospitals or clinics, to learn whether place of birth made a significant difference to any component of the infant or childhood mortality rate during neonatal (less than 1 month), infant (1-11 months) or preschool (12-59 months) periods. The rate for home births was significantly higher (P less than 0.01) when compared with that for clinic but not hospital births. The rate for neonates was significantly higher (P less than 0.05) but not for infants. This may well reflect lack of early contact with medical and paramedical staff in women delivering at home rather than at a clinic. This was not applicable to home versus hospital deliveries, but as difficult births are referred to hospital from the local clinics this may partly explain the lack of a significant difference between home and hospital deliveries. Cause of death may well be a further reason to encourage mothers to choose institutional rather than home deliveries.