Evaluation of Child Health by Basic Indicators of Health: Historical Series 2005-2014

Abstract

The continuous assessment of child health services generates knowledge about the real needs of health services and actions in order to achieve better results and indicators. Thus, this study proposes to analyze child health indicators, based on the information systems of health services. This is a descriptive, ecological epidemiological study carried out using secondary data from the following information systems: Information System on Live Births and Mortality Information System, in a historical series of ten years (2005-2014) of the state of Rio Grande do Norte and its health micro regions. It was observed a decrease in infant, neonatal, preterm, late neonatal and postnatal mortality coefficients when compared to the first and last year of the observed period, as well as the concentration of these in micro-regions of health. There was also a positive association between the early neonatal component and infant death. In this perspective, it is important to evaluate the quality of prenatal care, childbirth, puerperium, the first week of integral health and follow-up of the child’s growth and development, as well as to relate the socio-demographic conditions that may be associated with infant morbimortality. Therefore, the importance of situational health assessment studies for the effectiveness of care provided is highlighted, identifying weaknesses and monitoring the effectiveness of strategies.