JOMPAC
Journal of Medicine and Palliative Care

Journal of Medicine and Palliative Care (JOMPAC) is an open access scientific journal with independent, unbiased, and double-blind review under international guidelines. The purpose of JOMPAC is to contribute to the literature by publishing articles on health sciences and medicine.

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Original Article
Infant mortality and stillbirths: a regional retrospective study
Abstract
Aims: The rates of infant mortality and stillbirths are crucial measures of healthcare quality and societal development. Significant strides have been achieved worldwide in lowering infant mortality rates since 1990. The infant mortality rate in Turkiye experienced a rapid decline up to 2010 but has stabilised since then. This study aims to investigate infant mortality and stillbirths comparatively within a provincial sample during 2024 and the first six months of 2025 to determine the factors influencing their temporal distribution patterns.
Methods: This study is a retrospective descriptive investigation examining infant deaths and stillbirths. The study population consists of all reported infant deaths and stillbirths in a specified province between 1 January 2024 and 30 June 2025, evaluated in six-month periods.
Results: The infant mortality rate increased significantly in the first half of 2025 compared with previous periods, standing at 6.5‰ in the first half of 2024, 5.6‰ in the second half of 2024, and 10.3‰ in the first half of 2025 (p=0.048). In contrast, no significant differences were observed in stillbirth rates between the periods (p>0.05). The proportion of male infants in the infant mortality group was significantly higher in the first half of 2025 (p=0.016). In the stillbirth group, the interval between pregnancies of ?2 years (p=0.026) and the number of live births (p=0.047) were significantly higher in the first half of 2025. Other maternal, obstetric and neonatal characteristics were found to be similar between the periods.
Conclusion: In particular, the upward trend observed in the first six months of 2025 indicates the need to strengthen preventive healthcare services, improve the effectiveness of antenatal monitoring, and prioritise interventions targeting the early neonatal period.

Keywords : Stillbirth, infant mortality, neonatal mortality

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Article available in :
Volume 7, Issue 3, 2026
Page : 547-552
https://doi.org/10.47582/jompac.1906808
Article Information
Received : 11 Mar 2026
Accepted : 09 Haz 2026
Published : 25 Haz 2026
Corresponding Author :

Yiğit Şenol: Department of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of Health Sciences, Afyon, Turkiye

[email protected]
Citation : Şenol Y, Öztürk H, Özkan A, Özdemir FD, Gezer Kaçar B. Infant mortality and stillbirths: a regional retrospective study. J Med Palliat Care. 2026;7(3):547-552. doi:10.47582/jompac.1906808

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