Factors Affecting Child and Infant Survival

This article discusses the various factors that affect child and infant survival, including socio-economic factors, medical factors, public health factors, and nutritional factors. It highlights the importance of education, access to healthcare facilities, sanitation, and proper nutrition in improving the survival chances of infants and children.

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FACTORS AFFECTING CHILD AND INFANT SURVIVAL
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Introduction
Every child and infant have the right to survival, development and growth as acknowledged in
the United Nation Convention on the Rights of the child (UNCRC). Every infant and child has
the inherent right to life, and every state should ensure that the maximum survival and
development chances of a child are met. Realizing the right to child development and survival
will help the government in extending and ensuring that there is access to health care services to
most impoverished children at low cost. It will also ensure there is an increase in the uptake and
awareness of behaviors and services among deprived and vulnerable populations and also assist
in dealing with underlying factors that reduce survival chances of an infant and child. Factors
that minimize the survival chances of infants and children include; poor nutrition and lack of
access to sanitation and safe water.
Socio-economic factors
Improvement in the socio-economic factors in the developing countries has played an essential
role in increasing child survival. The distribution of social benefits and economic conditions is
closely linked to the survival chances of children and infants (Bornstein and Bradley, 2014).
Socio-economic factors that influence child survival include; mother's education, promotion of
monogamy, maternal autonomy, mother's occupation, maternal age at birth, and place of
residence.
Mother's education

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In developing countries, women are continually being empowered through education. Most of
the educated mothers will naturally make better use of modern health facilities, for both curative
and preventive purposes hence increasing the rate of child and infant survival. Also, educated
mothers are more likely to seek better antenatal care (Khanal et al, 2014).
Promotion of monogamy
Many of the developing countries are encouraging monogamous marriage. Monogamy helps in
improving the child survival because there is no rivalry from co-wives and no neglect from the
husband. A husband married to only one wife will be responsible during early child care and
pregnancy. Studies that have been carried shows that children born in polygamous families are
more likely to experience death early due to shared responsibilities and resources among the
several wives (Patel et al, 2015).
Maternal autonomy
In many developing countries the level of mothers financial autonomous is significantly
contributing to child and infant survival. Maternal autonomy encourages health-seeking
behaviours in case of a sick child hence desirable outcome on the survival chances of a child.
Mothers who also have freedom in decision making regarding their child are less likely to
experience under five death. Also, children born to mothers who are financially stable are less
likely to experience early death since mothers are able to cater for the child health needs.
Mother's occupation
In developing countries, most women are being educated and empowered. It promotes the ability
of the women to get employed. The risk of infant and child death is lower in working mothers
than in non-employed mothers (Koblinsky, Campbell and Harlow, 2018). A lower level of infant

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and child death may be because employed mothers are more likely and aware of care and
immunization during pregnancy and have funds to cater for their children in case of any illness
hence increasing the chances of child survival.
Maternal age at birth
In most developing countries some programs educate mothers on the importance of getting
children at the right age. Children born to young mother are less likely to experience early death
than those born to old mothers. It may be due decrease in biological complications and reduction
in babies born underweight. Also, infants born to mothers under the age of 20 are more likely to
die at an early age because of pregnancy complications, physical immaturity, poor nutritional
status and inadequate child nurturing experience among young mothers (Rutstein and Winter,
2014)
Place of residence
It is evident that many people in developing countries are increasingly moving to urban areas.
Studies carried out have shown that infants and child born in rural areas are more likely to die at
an early age compared to those born in urban areas. The considerable increase in the chances of
survival may be due to increased access to health care services, adequate basic sanitation,
improved transport and education services and the availability of safe water supply.
Medical factors
An argument in the developing countries is that there is a great contribution of curative and
preventive medical care in increasing child and infant survival. Preventive care that includes
vaccination programs has significantly contributed to chances of infant and child survival. Also,
access to and availability of health care facilities has reduced child and infant mortality (Stenberg

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et al, 2014). Medical factors that affect child and infant survival chances include; quality of
medical care, attitude towards modern and traditional medicine, affordability of medical care
cost, the acceptability of Community health workers, and reducing the impact of HIV/AIDS.
Quality of medical care
Increasing the availability of medical care and related child programs is a crucial factor to
enhance infant and child survival. Quality of medical care is mainly influenced by the
availability of the required drugs, thermometers and immunizing young children. Many of
developing countries are putting in place measures to ensure there is an adequate supply of
necessary medications. Also, the availability of qualified medical personnel is another factor that
contributes to enhancing quality medical care. Availability of skilled health workers involves
equipping and training them to provide quality child, maternal and newborn healthcare. Training
and equipping health workers increases their capability of delivering neonatal care and obstetric
care in women who have complications. Availability of quality medical care and qualified
medical personnel assists in infant and child survival because since children are more prone to
diseases like malaria, pneumonia and diarrhoea, in case of such disease’s occurrence, they will
get adequate medical care hence improving their survival chances (Raju et al, 2014).
Attitude towards modern and traditional medicine
To increase the survival rates of infants and children governments of many developing countries
are increasingly creating awareness on the importance of modern medicine. It ensures that
families search for medical care. So many national governments are working in collaboration
with community health committee and local leaders to address cultural, traditional, and social
barriers to health (Bhutta and Black, 2013). Highlighting the health as a right to every child even

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in developing villages has played an essential role in ensuring that issues affecting infant and
child health are identified and acted upon. It assists in improving the survival chances of children
and infants since in case of any sickness families will seek appropriate care.
Reducing the impact of HIV/AIDS
It is evident that HIV/AIDS reduces the survival chances of an infant and child. Many of
developing countries are putting efforts to ensure that communities get access to quality and
effective HIV/AIDS support, medical care and health care especially pregnant women. There are
also efforts to encourage pregnant women to seek services that will help decrease the impact of
HIV and AIDS on their unborn and born children. Psychosocial and medical care are mainly
provided by the government to protect the lives of children who are born to mothers infected
from HIV and AIDS hence increasing their survival chances (Lawn et al, 2014).
Affordability of medical care
Health care expenditures that include monetary resources spent on the provision of health care is
increasing. Increase in the health care expenditures assists in promoting disease treatment,
preventing death, preventing diseases, administering and providing public health, and
administering and giving health program funds. Increasing government expenditure on health
services helps in improving the attainment and access to health care services hence promoting
children and infants survival. It assists in reducing the impact of illness on the productive life of
children and infants. Also, increasing government expenditure ensure affordable access to
medicine and healthcare hence improving the quality of life (Liu et al, 2015). Some governments
have put in place measures like health insurance that helps in case an infant or child gets sick.
Acceptability of Community Health Workers

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Community Health Workers (CHW) requires to be trusted to deliver effective maternal and
newborn health outcomes in developing countries. Acceptability of Community Health Workers
involves respecting them when they are providing children and maternal health services at home.
Training, supervision and supporting CHWs ensures that they gain professional and ability to
deliver quality healthcare services hence improving the community trust and respect towards
them. It also provides a good relationship between the community members and CHWs that
helps in promoting the provision of adequate care in communities. Use of CHWs in developing
countries has proven to be effective in improving the coverage of child, women and maternal
health interventions hence leading to an increase in survival chances.
Public health factors
Public health in developing countries plays an essential role in increasing infant and child
survival. The availability of sanitation, refuse disposal, water and access to public health
facilities are the basic requirements for child survival.
Access to health facilities
Majority of developing countries are continuously increasing access to health care, especially to
children and mothers. Many of the developing countries are continually abolishing fees for
prenatal care in public hospitals and making the primary health care for children below the age of
five and their mothers free of charge. Also, a lot of efforts has been made to increase the
available primary health care facilities and upgrade the existing facilities. These steps reflect are
being carried out to strengthen the health care system and making it accessible to all people. The
measures have greatly contributed to an improvement in child and infant survival (Adedini et al,
2014).

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Availability of sanitation
Developing countries are increasing improving access to decent sanitation that has a favourable
effect on the survival chances of children and infants. Improved sanitation facilities may include
improved latrines, imposing flush toilets or composting toilets. Hygiene education has been
carried out at developing countries to educate people on the importance of improved sanitation.
Hygiene education addresses some issues like hand washing before preparing food and after
toilet visiting (Lapillonne and Griffin, 2013). Hygiene education is vital on child survival
because it ensures that diseases that may be due to unhygienic practices are addressed hence
increasing the chances of child and infant survival.
Availability of safe water
Availability of safe water is a necessary condition to ensure an increase in child survival. Access
to unsafe water is a public health problem and has direct and indirect effects on child and infant
health. Unsafe water causes many of pervasive diseases hence risking the chances of child
survival. Lack of access to clean drinking and safe water causes death from diarrhoea but in
developing countries efforts have been made to increase access to clean and safe water.
Provision of clean and safe water has been through public taps, rainwater collection, water
connections, standpipes, and protected dug wells. There is also an emphasis on water treatment
at home or source. Water treatment helps in reducing contamination (Ngure et al, 2014).
Refuse disposal
Many of developing countries are increasingly putting in place mechanism for ensuring proper
refuse disposal. Improperly disposed of refuse cause a severe health problem to infant and child
hence reducing chances of survival. Open dumpsites act as a source of pathogenic agents such

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as fungi, bacteria and viruses, and diseases vectors. Hepatitis B and C virus is higher in children
and infants exposed to waste hence increasing chances of dying at an early age.
Proximity to health care facilities
There has been an emphasis on most developing countries public health policy to abolish
disparities that exist between rural-urban in health status. Improving the health status of rural
children help in increasing their survival chances. Efforts that have been put by the government
to improve the proximity of health care facilities include the construction and improvement of
infrastructure to rural residents (Mason et al, 2014).
Nutritional factors
Suitable nutrition is an essential factor for decreasing maternal and child mortality. Nutrition
interventions are among the lifesaving factors that can help in increasing child and infant
survival. There is a significant negative influence on the child survival that arises from under
nutrition ranging from stunting, wasting, micronutrient deficiencies, fetal growth restriction and
suboptimal breastfeeding (Cunningham, 2017. Malnutrition has a direct effect on child survival
as it increases diseases, causes poor health and compromises immune function. It also hastens the
severity, progression and duration of diseases hence reducing the survival chances of children.
Interventions practices that some developing countries have put in place to minimize the effects
of under nutrition include;
Education on the importance of maternal nutrition during pregnancy. It includes training on the
importance of calcium, folic and iron acid, and energy protein supplementation uptake (Mann
and Truswell, 2017). Poor maternal nutrition causes the birth of underweight children and poor
fetal development and hence reducing the child survival rates.

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Awareness of feeding practices of infants and young children. It includes exclusive and early
breastfeeding and appropriate complementary feeding with food provided and prepared after
hand washing. An infant's not well breastfed are more likely to die from diarrhoea than those
who have been breastfed well (Adhikari et al, 2014). World Health Organization recommends
up to 6 months of breastfeeding.
Education on the importance of managing acute malnutrition and micronutrient supplementation
for infants and children. Suitable managing of severe malnutrition that includes ready to use
therapeutic reduces the child mortality (Black et al, 2013).
Conclusion
It is evident that the health of infants and children greatly depend on socio-economic, public
health, nutritional and medical factors. Hence, to improve the survival chances of every infant
and child, it is essential to take into considerations those factors. It is the responsibility of every
government to improve the understanding of the mechanism that is required to increase child
development, survival and guide evaluations. Guiding evaluations of how new health practices,
new policy interventions and changing behavior affect children and infant’s health is significant
in ensuring an increase in child survival.

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