Infant-Mortality - Health Quality Ontario (HQO)

INDICATOR NAME

Name

Infant Mortality, per 1000 live births (Retired)

Alternate Name

Infant Mortality

INDICATOR DESCRIPTION

Description

This indicator measures the number of infants who die in the first year of life, expressed as a rate per 1,000 live births. A lower rate is better.

HQO Reporting tool/product

Public reporting

Dimension

Effective

Type

Outcome

DEFINITION AND SOURCE INFORMATION

Unit of Measurement

Rate per 1,000 live births

Calculation Methods

This indicator is calculated by dividing the total number of deaths for live born infants (364 days or younger) by total number of live births (per 1000 live births) for the same year , regardless of birth weight.

Numerator (short description i.e. not inclusions/exclusions)

Total number of deaths of live born infants 364 days or younger

Denominator (short description i.e. not inclusions/exclusions)

Total number of live births

Data Source

Canadian Birth Database (CBDB), Canadian Mortality Database (CMDB), Vital Statistics, Birth and Death Databases

Data provided to HQO by

Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC), Statistics Canada

Reported Levels of comparability /stratifications (defined)

Education, Time

OTHER RELEVANT INFORMATION

Caveats and Limitations

- Vital Statistic data are typically two or three years behind the current calendar year. - Given the small number infant deaths, infant mortality rates may fluctuate from year to year. It may be of beneficial to group years when reporting infant mortality and/or calculate a three-year moving average. Infant mortality data are based on births that are registered.

Comments Summary

Variations in infant mortality may be due to differences in reporting deaths of infants born at the borderline of viability, therefore mortality rates for infants with a birth weight ≥500 g are also calculated in addition to mortality rates for infants of all birth weights (crude infant mortality).