Infant mortality in Antioquia during 2021: towards a syndemic approach Mortalidad infantil en Antioquia durante el año 2021: hacia un enfoque sindemico

Abstract

In Colombia, infant mortality has followed a marked downward trend in recent years. However, after the arrival of the coronavirus, a slight increase in infant mortality cases has been identified. The objective is to describe the factors related to infant mortality and the strategies implemented during 2021. Materials and methods: retrospective descriptive study, on confirmed cases of infant mortality in Antioquia during 2021, the information sources were epidemiological notification reports and the transcripts of event analysis field interviews. Descriptive statistics were used for the analysis of the epidemiological records and qualitative content analysis for the interviews. Results: In Antioquia, by the year 2021, there were 43 deaths in children under 5 years of age due to Acute Respiratory Failure (ARI), Acute Diarrheal Disease (ADD) and Malnutrition (DNT), of which the highest incidence was contributed by mortality from ARI with 24 cases, followed by mortality from malnutrition with 10 cases and finally, mortality from acute diarrheal disease presented 9 cases. 10 interviews with mothers and relatives of the deceased minors were analyzed, the following categories of syndemic and mortality analysis were identified; maternal mental health and infant mortality; and quality of health care. Based on the identified problems, two educational events with a community IMCI approach were held. Conclusion: A syndemic approach makes it possible to understand the impact of the pandemic on infant mortality, understanding is the first step to intervene. The increase in infant mortality figures is just the tip of the iceberg, it is necessary to consider other long-term effects on child health.