Tendencies of Infantile and Child Mortality in the Conditions of Implementation of the Modern Strategy of Development of Health Care of the Russian Federation

Development of maternity and childhood protection service is one of the priorities of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation. The strategy for its development is included in the National plan of action for the benefit of children formulated according to the international documents on the rights of a child. The preservation of life and health of children under 5 years has been identified as an important strategic task for preserving life and health of the population as a whole. Tendencies of mortality in children under 5 years and infant mortality as a part of the data had been studied basing on the analysis of Federal State Statistics Service of the Russian Federation and World Bank data bases. It is shown that the reduction in mortality of children under 5 years occurred in all age periods. The level of infant mortality decreased significantly to the same extent due to neonatal and post-neonatal mortality. The leading causes for mortality in children under 5 years in general and infant mortality in particular are certain conditions originating in the perinatal period and congenital malformations which slow further reduction of the mortality in children in this age group. Significant reasons for death in children aged 1−4 years are injuries, poisonings, and oncologic diseases. The reserves of infant and child mortality reduction are found in implementation of prenatal and preimplantation diagnostics and «Prenatal consultation» organizational model; broader screening for congenital and hereditary metabolic diseases in the neonatal period including the most common nosological forms of rare (orphan) diseases; expansion of the National Vaccination Calendar; improvement of quality of prehospital medical care to children under the age of 1 year; further development of specialized, rehabilitative, and medical-social support.