The expression of vulnerability through infant mortality in the municipality of Embu.

CONTEXT AND OBJECTIVE Infant mortality expresses a set of living, working and healthcare access conditions and opens up possibilities for adopting interventions to expand equity in healthcare. This study aimed to investigate vulnerability and the consequent differences in access to health services and occurrences of deaths among infants under one year of age in the municipality of Embu. DESIGN AND SETTING This was a descriptive study in the municipality of Embu. METHODS Primary data were collected through interviews with the families of children living in the municipality of Embu who died in the years 1996 and 1997 before reaching one year of age. Secondary data were obtained from death certificates. The variables collected related to living conditions, income, occupation, prenatal care, delivery and the healthcare provided for children. These data were compared with the results obtained from a study carried out in 1996. RESULTS Statistically significant differences were found with regard to income, working without a formal employment contract and access to private health plans among the families of the children who died. There were also differences in access to and quality of prenatal care, frequency of low birth weight and neonatal inter-ocurrences. CONCLUSIONS The employment/unemployment situation was decisive in determining the degree of family stability and vulnerability to the occurrence of infant deaths, in addition to the conditions of access to and quality of healthcare services.