OBJECTIVES: to identify the factors of risk for the neonatal mortality with information from born alive information system and mortality information system in city of Montes Claros, in the period of 1997 through 1999. METHODS: the linkage technique has been used to link the declarations of death with the respective declarations of the infants who were born alive. The identification of factors associated to neonatal mortality has been done through bivaried and multi-variable analysis, obtaining the calculus of risk and its 95% confidence interval. RESULTS: the infants who were born alive were 20.506 and the deaths 275 which resulted in a coefficient of neonatal mortality of 13.4 to one thousand who were born alive. Through the multi-varied analysis, independent factors of risk were obtained for the occurrence of neonatal deaths to prematurely born infants, the low weight when they are born and the score of Apgar lower than seven in the first and fifth minute of life. CONCLUSIONS: efforts have been made to improve the obstetrics and neonatal assistance in the city of Montes Claros, providing conditions for safe pregnancy and birth, thus increasing the chances of survival in the beginning of life.
Infant mortality; Information systems; Epidemiologic surveillance
