Medical Causes of Death in Iranian Children Aged ۱-۵۹ Months: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Background: Preventing the years of life lost in newborns and children is one of the serious public health problems in underdeveloped countries. Objective. This review is aimed at pointing out the significant determinants related to Iranian under-five child mortality(inside and out-of-hospital) through a systematic review of the literature. Methods: EMBASE, PubMed, the Scopus database, and the Google Scholar search engine were used for the systematic search of the literature in Iranian studies. Special syntax was used to search the relevant studies for the review. Original research articles in the English and Persian until December ۳۱, ۲۰۲۳, were included on the analysis and synthesis of the results. The ۱۵ studies were entered into this study. Eligible articles were appraised in detail, and relevant information was extracted and then integrated into the systematic review. Results: The results of the data analysis in this study indicated that the highest frequency of mortality occurs in boys. The three most significant causes of death among Iranian children aged ۱-۵۹ months, respectively, are congenital disorders (۲۸% prevalence), respiratory distress syndrome (۱۸% prevalence), and non-traffic and traffic accidents (۱۷% prevalence). Conclusion: The study results indicate that the most common causes of mortality among Iranian children aged ۱-۵۹ include congenital abnormalities, unintentional injuries, mortality due to external factors, and respiratory infections. However, without accurate recording of causes of death using ICD-۱۰, as well as conducting autopsy or registering by precise age periods in children under ۵ years old, it is not possible to adequately focus on analyzing extensive patterns of mortality in the country. Consequently, related public health planning diminishes, affecting efforts to reduce mortality effectively.

کلیدواژه ها:

children ، mortality ، Iran