Determinants of Child Mortality in Punjab, Pakistan

Abstract

This research project examines the key determinants of child mortality in Punjab, Pakistan, focusing on factors such as birth order, mother’s age at birth, birth interval, premature birth, and multiple births. These findings indicate that firstborn and higher-order children exhibit higher mortality rates, which are attributed to inexperienced parenting in the case of firstborns and the dispersion of resources among siblings for higher-order children. The study showed that children born to mothers aged between 20-34 years had the highest survival rates than children born to mothers who are teenagers or mothers above 34 years. This means that the families mothers give birth within the age interval 20-34 are more likely to have low mortality rates hence the need to encourage family planning. It was also observed that both premature and multiple births are associated with high mortality rates hence there is a need to enhance quality perinatal and neonatal services. It is recommended that the Ministry of Health focuses on streamlined health policies, enhanced awareness of parents, and improved supply of resources to decrease infant mortality and promote general child health in the area. Integrated approaches, awareness campaigns, and the improvement of education and health care as well as the establishment of favorable policies are indispensable to tackle the multifaceted problem of child mortality.