Deaths of children aged under 5 years and related factors in the Islamic Republic of Iran: a population-based case-control study

ABSTRACT

The study was conducted to determine the family, social and economic factors associated with deaths of children aged under 5 years. A registry-based nested case-control study was conducted of the deaths of all children aged under 5 years in Kohgilooyeh and Boyer-Ahmad Province in the Islamic Republic of Iran. For each death, two controls were randomly selected among children of the same age, sex and place of residence [186 cases and 372 controls]. Congenital abnormality [37.6%] and preterm birth [29.0%] were the two most frequent causes of death among children aged under 5 years. No vaccine-preventable disease was reported as the cause of death. The strongest associations were found with consanguinity of the parents [OR = 3.92; 95% CI = 2.27-6.85 for being first cousins in comparison with no family relation; P < 0.001] and with domestic violence to the mother during pregnancy [OR = 3.13; 95% CI = 1.60-6.17; P < 0.01]. The main causes of death of children aged under 5 years in the Province were congenital abnormality and prematurity