BIBLIOGRAPHIC INPUT SHEET TEMPORARY Patterns of mortality ...

ChapterXII. Reproductive Patterns
251
It is clear, therefore, that birth order is
a factor of great importance in the evalua­
tion of infant mortality.
and Bolivia were lower: 27.9 and 25.3, and
those for Sherbrooke and California were
much lower: 19.4 and 12.0, respectively.
DISTRIBUTION OF LIVE BIRTHS BY BIRTH ORDER
The distribution of live births by birth
order is most important for an understanding
of the level of infant mortality. Irrespective
of other factors, infants born to
mothers with high parity have much lower
chances of survival. In view of the evidence
presented earlier regarding relatively low
birth weights and excessive nutritional deficiency
in many Latin American projects,
questions are immediately raised in regard
to the health of these mothers after many
births as well as that of the products of
gestation. Here is an important field for
research and also a field for action to ensure
the birth of healthy products who are
able to survive infancy,
The distributions of live births utilized
for the calculation of mortality were available
for only four areas (Table 152). In
both the Sherbrooke and the California
projects more than 40 per cent were first
births and the percentages for fifth and
later births were low (11.6 and 6.9, respectivejy).
In the Province of Santiago 35.4
per cent were first births, while in Monterrey
the percentage was only 22.5.
In Santiago Province, a reduction of 38
per cent in the percentage of births of fifth
and higher orders (from 27.5 in 1962 to 17.0
in 1969) contributed to a 29-per-cent decrease
in the birth rate (Table 153 and
Figure 125). The actual decrease in births
of order 5 and above was from 26,340 in
1962 to 14,416 in 1969 (45.3 per cent). Al,
increase occurred in the percentage of first
births, from 25.7 in 1962 to 35.4 in 1969.
Such shifts in distribution of births result
in a reduction in infant mortality. Thus in
Chile family planning, which led to the decline
in the birth rate, produced a reduction
in high-order births and number of older
mothers which is having a very beneficial
influence on survival of the newborn.
Both factors-age and parity of mother-
TABLE 152. Distribution of Live Births by Birth Order in Four Areas.
Birth order
Total ...........................
1...............................
2 ...............................
3...............................
4 ...............................
5and over ......................
Santa
CHILE
gM MEXICO
Pratiago E I OA CANADA N D UNITED STATES
Monterrey Sherbooke California
e..i Mneryproject
100.1 100.1 100.0 100.0
35.4 22.5 40.4 43.2
24.9 17.8 26.6 29.0
14.4 15.0 14.2 14.2
8.4 11.9 7.2 6.7
17.0 32.9 11.6 6.9