Infant mortality

An infant in a neonatal intensive care unit

This epidemiological indicator is recognized as a very important measure of the level of health care in a country because it is directly linked with the health status of infants, children, and pregnant women as well as access to medical care, socioeconomic conditions, and public health practices. Major causes of infant mortality include dehydration, infection, congenital malformation and SIDS. Infant mortality is the death of an infant in the first year of life.