Home > Statistics > Causes of death > 2012 > 7. There is around ten cot deaths per year

7. There is around ten cot deaths per year

In Finland, infant mortality is one of the lowest in the world. In 2012, 141 children died in infancy, that is, under the age of one. Infant mortality was 2.4 per 1,000 live-born children. The main causes of death among children under the age of one were perinatal reasons and inborn malformations (Table 3). Infectious diseases, accidents and violence are rare causes of death for infants.

The number of stillborns was the same as last year, i.e. 161. Perinatal mortality (deaths during the first week and stillborn) was 3.9 per thousand births. Around one-half of children dying during their first year of life die during their first week of life (in the early neonatal period) and 60 per cent during the first four weeks of life (in the neonatal period). The main causes of death after the neonatal period are inborn malformations and cot deaths. In 2012, there were 12 cot deaths. Cot deaths mostly occur to children over the age of one month.

The mortality of children aged 1 to 14 has halved over the past twenty years. In 2012, there were 98 deaths among children. This corresponds with approximately 12 deaths per 100,000 population. The commonest cause of death among children aged 1 to 14 was accidents and the second most common was neoplasms.

In the past twenty years, there has usually been a total of one to seven maternal deaths per year. 2011 was the first year in the history of the statistics on causes of death when there was no maternal deaths. In 2012, there were two maternal deaths, which meant that maternal mortality was 3.4 deaths per 100,000 live-born children.

More information about mortality during infant and perinatal period can be found in Appendix Table 3.

Figure 10. Mortality during infant and perinatal period in 1992-2012

Table 3. Causes of death among children under the age of one 2002, 2009 and 2012

	2002	2009	2012
Total deaths	165	160	141
Certain conditions originating in the perinatal period (P00–P96)	75	74	51
Congenital malformations and chromosomal abnormalities (Q00–Q99)	51	52	43
Sudden infant death syndrome (R95)	13	15	12
Diseases of circulatory system and respiratory system (J00–J99, I00–I99)	4	5	7
Endocrine, nutritional and metabolic diseases (E00–E90)	0	5	5
Other diseases and unknown	17	4	19
Accidents and assault (V01–X44, X46–Y89)	5	5	4

Source: Causes of death, Statistics Finland

Inquiries: Airi Pajunen 09 1734 3605, Kati Taskinen 09 1734 3297, kuolemansyyt@stat.fi

Director in charge: Riitta Harala

---

Updated 30.12.2013