Child's risk status at birth as a determinant of infant mortality in Nigeria

Elhakim A. Ibrahim, Obafemi Awolowo University
Sunday A. Adedini, Obafemi Awolowo University and University of the Witwatersrand
Amos O. Oyedokun, Obafemi Awolowo University
Ayotunde Titilayo, Obafemi Awolowo University

Studies have linked infant mortality (IM) risks to maternal age at birth, inter-birth interval, and birth order; culminating into maternal and child's risk status classified, in aggregate, as not high-risk, unavoidable risk and avoidable high-risks. However, there is dearth of investigations either controlling for confounders in estimating mortality risks differential across the risk groups or quantifying the magnitude of IM attributable to risky status at birth. Hence, 2013 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey data of 19,833 births were analyzed using Cox proportional hazards regression models. Results indicated that children having avoidable high-risk status at birth exhibited significantly consistent higher hazards of dying in infancy than infants with not high-risk birth status (Unadjusted hazard ratio:1.49,p<0.001; Fully adjusted hazard ratio:1.55,p<0.001). Findings further revealed that 19% of IM in Nigeria was attributable to high-risk birth status. The findings underscore the public health and development significance of fertility behaviour and family planning intervention.