Neonatal Mortality in the Developing World

Kenneth H. Hill, Johns Hopkins University
Yoonjoung Choi, Johns Hopkins University

Over one-third of the 10.8 million under-five child deaths in 2000 occurred in the neonatal period, but neonatal mortality across the developing world has received little formal study. This paper examines age patterns and trends of early and late neonatal mortality in developing countries, using birth history data from the Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS). Data quality is assessed both by examination of internal consistency and by comparison with historic age patterns of neonatal mortality observed for England and Wales. Neonatal mortality trends are examined using a country fixed effect regression model. The median neonatal mortality rate (NMR) across 108 DHS was 33 per 1000 live births. NMR averaged an annual decline of 1.7 % for the last two decades. Age patterns of neonatal mortality were comparable with those of historical data, indicating no significant underreporting of early neonatal deaths in DHS birth histories.