Clustering of Infant Mortality Within Families in Rural Burkina Faso

Gisela Kynast-Wolf Heidelberg Institute of Global Health, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany;

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Anja Schoeps Heidelberg Institute of Global Health, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany;

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Volker Winkler Heidelberg Institute of Global Health, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany;

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Gabriele Stieglbauer Heidelberg Institute of Global Health, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany;

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Pascal Zabré Centre de Recherche en Santé de Nouna, Nouna, Burkina Faso;

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Olaf Müller Heidelberg Institute of Global Health, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany;

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Ali Sié Centre de Recherche en Santé de Nouna, Nouna, Burkina Faso;

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Heiko Becher Heidelberg Institute of Global Health, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany;
University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE), Hamburg, Germany

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DOI:
https://doi.org/10.4269/ajtmh.17-0669
Volume/Issue:
Volume 100: Issue 1
Page(s):
187–191
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In this study, we analyze clustering of infant deaths within families living in a rural part of western Burkina Faso. The study included 9,220 infants, born between 1993 and 2009 in Nouna Health and Demographic Surveillance System (HDSS). A clustering of infant deaths in families was explored by calculating observed versus expected number of infant deaths within families for a given family size. In addition, risk ratios were calculated for infant death depending on the vital status of the previous sibling. We observed 470 infant deaths, yielding an overall infant mortality risk of 51/1,000 births. Clustering of infant deaths within families was observed (P = 0.004). In smaller families, the mortality of firstborns was higher than for the following siblings. The infant mortality risk was higher when the preceding sibling died in infancy (P = 0.03). The study supports the hypothesis of infant death clustering existing within rural families in West Africa. Further studies are needed to shed more light on these findings with the goal to develop effective interventions directed toward the families who already lost a child.

Author Notes

Address correspondence to Gisela Kynast-Wolf, Institute of Public Health, University of Heidelberg, Im Neuenheimer Feld 324, Heidelberg D-69120, Germany. E-mail: gisela.kynast-wolf@urz.uni-heidelberg.de

Authors’ addresses: Gisela Kynast-Wolf, Anja Schoeps, Volker Winkler, Gabriele Stieglbauer, and Olaf Müller, Heidelberg Institute of Global Health, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany, E-mails: gisela.kynast-wolf@urz.uni-heidelberg.de, schoeps@uni-heidelberg.de, v.winkler@uni-heidelberg.de, gabriele.stieglbauer@urz.uni-heidelberg.de, and olaf.mueller@urz.uni-heidelberg.de. Pascal Zabré and Ali Sié, Centre de Recherche en Santé de Nouna (CRSN), Nouna, Burkina Faso, E-mails: erbazson@gmail.com and sieali@crsn-nouna.bf. Heiko Becher, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE), Hamburg, Germany, E-mail: h.becher@uke.de.

Reprint requests: Gisela Kynast-Wolf, Heidelberg Institute of Global Health, University of Heidelberg, Im Neuenheimer Feld 324, Heidelberg D-69120, Germany, E-mail: gisela.kynast-wolf@urz.uni-heidelberg.de.

Copyright:
© The American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene 2019
Received:
23 Aug 2017
|
Accepted:
13 Sep 2018
|
Published Online:
19 Nov 2018
Cover The American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene
The American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene
Print ISSN:
0002-9637
Online ISSN:
1476-1645
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