Infant mortality rate Flashcards
What is meant by ‘infant mortality rate’
The number of infants who die before their first birthday , per thousand babies born alive , per year
What is the main indicator of infant mortality rates ?
social conditions
What is the pattern with social class and IMR in the UK ?
Today , lower social classes in Britain have higher IMR’S than higher social classes which tend to have much lower rates of infant deaths
What is the pattern with race and IMR in the UK ?
Babies from black ethnic groups have the highest rates . One known risk factor for both stillbirths and IMR is deprivation .Babies from Asian, Black and Any Other ethnic group were more likely yo live in more deprived areas compared with their white counterparts
What are the 3 main reasons why the IMR has fallen in the first half of the 20th century?
1- Improved housing conditions
2- Better food
3- Better understanding of the link between diseases and a lack of hygiene
How did housing conditions improve during the first half of the 20th century?
1875-public health act which impacted rules around house building e.g.ventillation , minimum room size , windows needed
councils also given responsibility to ensure clean water is supplied ````````````````````````````````````````````
How did better food contribute to the fall in IMR?
As living conditions slowly improved, and if mothers were better fed, they had healthier babies and would be more likely to have enough breast milk if they needed to
What are the main reasons why the IMR has fallen in the second half of the 20th century?
-improved health services for women
-mass immunisation against childhood diseases
- medical pressure on government
- medical advances
What was the main change in the second half of the 20th century to improve public health?
The introduction of the NHS in 1948
