Child Mortality in a Developing Country: a Statistical Analysis

This study uses data from the “Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey (BDHS] 1999-2000” to investigate the predictors of child (age 1-4 years] mortality in a developing country like Bangladesh. The cross-tabulation and multiple logistic regression techniques have been used to estimate the predictors of child mortality. The cross-tabulation analysis shows that parents’ education is the vital factor associated with child mortality risk but in logistic regression analysis only the father’s education has been found significant to reducing child mortality. Occupation of father has been found a significant characteristic in both analyzes, further mother standard of living index, breastfeeding status, birth order has substantial impact on child mortality in Bangladesh. The findings also show that in both statistical analyzes maternal health care variables such as timing of first antenatal check and tetanus toxoid (TT] during pregnancy has momentous effect on child mortality. Finally these findings specified that an increase in parents’ education, improve health care services which should in turn raise child survival and should decrease child mortality in Bangladesh.