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Am J Perinatol 2010; 27(7): 549-558
DOI: 10.1055/s-0030-1248942
© Thieme Medical Publishers

Respiratory Causes of Infant Mortality: Progress and Challenges

Melissa Barber1 , Carol J. Blaisdell1
  • 1Division of Lung Diseases, National Heart Lung and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
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Publication History

Publication Date:
19 February 2010 (online)

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ABSTRACT

A marked reduction in infant mortality due to respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) has been reported in previous studies; however, deaths due to RDS are still more common in black infants than white infants. Because advances in respiratory care may have impacted non-RDS respiratory causes of infant mortality as well, the objective of this study was to determine if specific and total non-RDS respiratory causes of infant mortality have changed over time, and if health disparities exist. We analyzed and compared infant deaths due to RDS and other respiratory diseases from 1980 to 2005 in the United States and evaluated outcomes by race and gender. Infant mortality due to non-RDS causes declined more than twofold over this time frame, but not as dramatically as the fivefold decline in RDS deaths. Black compared with white infants had twice the mortality rate due to non-RDS respiratory causes. The most common non-RDS respiratory cause of infant mortality was due to congenital malformations of the respiratory tract, which did not change dramatically over the 25 years studied.

KEYWORDS

Bronchopulmonary dysplasia - meconium aspiration syndrome - pulmonary vascular disease

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Carol J BlaisdellM.D. 

Division of Lung Diseases, NHLBI, NIH, 6701 Rockledge Drive

10042, Bethesda, MD 20892

Email: blaisdellcj@nhlbi.nih.gov