Effect of Maternal Mortality on under-Five Survival: Evidence from Matlab, Bangladesh

Abdur Razzaque, ICDDR,B
Akhtar Hossain, Dhaka University
Mohammad Enamul Hoque, University of Queensland
Nurul Alam, ICDDR,B
Abbas Bhuiya, ICDDR,B
Peter Kim Streatfield, ICDDR,B

Of the children born shortly before the mother’s death, 61% died in the first 60 months compared to 19% of those born just before the last child of the same mother. Such difference is mainly due to high mortality in the first six months. Of those born shortly before the mother’s death, 22% died by age 60 months if adopted at the age of 7 days compared to 53% if the children stayed in their own households. However, those adopted at the age of 1 month or later, mortality by age 60 months was similar for the two groups of children. Of the children born shortly before the mother’s death, mortality by age 60 months was significantly lower if they stayed in their own households where a grandmother was present compared to where a female member was present (70% vs 82%).