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3. Infant mortality and maternal mortality

In 2009, 160 children died aged under one year, the figure being almost the same as the year before. Sixty per cent of children dying in their first year die during their first week of life and 76 per cent during the first four weeks of life. Perinatal mortality (deaths during the first week and stillborn) was 4.9 per thousand births. The figure has fallen by almost one half in the last decades. In 2009 there were 15 cot deaths. Cot deaths mostly occur to children over the age of one month.

Maternal mortality started to fall already in the 1970s, after which around one to seven mothers have died per year.

Figure 2. Stillborn and deaths at the age of under one year and under one week in 1987-2009

Figure 3. Deaths at the age of under one year by age in 1989 and 2009

Table 4. Causes of death among under one-year-olds in 2009

Causes of death	Total	Less than 1 day	1-6 days	7-27 days	28 days- 5 months	6-11 months
TOTAL DEATHS	160	52	43	27	29	9
Perinatal causes	74	30	31	10	3	0
Congenital malformations	52	18	10	13	10	1
Sudden infant death syndrome	15	0	0	2	8	5
Diseases of circulatory system and respiratory system	5	0	0	1	3	1
Endocrine, nutritional and metabolic diseases	5	0	1	1	2	1
Other diseases	4	0	1	0	2	1
Assault	4	4	0	0	0	0
Accidents	1	0	0	0	1	0

Table 5a. Leading causes of death among boys aged 1 to 14 in 1989 and 2009

	TOTAL DEATHS	Congenital malformations	Malignant neoplasms	Accidents	Endocrine, nutritional and metabolic diseases	Other diseases of the nervous system and sense organs	Assault	Suicides
1989	121	7	12	53	7	14	6	3
2009	42	10	9	7	4	2	1	0

Table 5b. Leading causes of death among girls aged 1 to 14 in 1989 and 2009

	TOTAL DEATHS	Malignant neoplasms	Congenital malformations	Endocrine, nutritional and metabolic diseases	Accidents	Other diseases of the nervous system and sense organs	Suicides	Assault
1989	76	12	12	3	28	4	0	2
2009	39	11	6	6	4	3	1	0

Table 6. Maternal mortality in 1960–2009

Year	Maternal deaths per 100 000 live births	Maternal deaths
1960	71,8	59
1965	25,7	20
1970	12,4	8
1975	10,6	7
1980	1,6	1
1985	6,4	4
1990	6,1	4
1995	1,6	1
2000	5,3	3
2005	5,2	3
2006	6,8	4
2007	1,7	1
2008	8,4	5
2009	1,6	1

Source: Causes of death, Statistics Finland

Inquiries: Irmeli Penttilä (09) 1734 3253, Helena Korpi (09) 1734 3605, Ulla Arkkio (09) 1734 3757, kuolemansyyt@stat.fi

Director in charge: Jari Tarkoma

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Updated 22.2.2011