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Birth outcomes in Inuit-inhabited areas

The fetal and infant mortality rate for women in Inuit-inhabited areas of Canada was 2.7 times higher than in the rest of Canada, and women had higher rates of preterm birth, found an article (pre-embargo link only) http://www.cmaj.ca/embargo/cmaj082042.pdf in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal) www.cmaj.ca.

The study looked at all births between 1990 and 2000.

There was a higher proportion of mothers under the age of 20 in Inuit-inhabited regions (22%) compared with the rest of Canada (6%), 71% v. 29% who were not legally married and 70% v. 57% who had two or more children.

"These results highlight the dire maternal and infant health situations in the Inuit-inhabited areas, and underline the need for effective interventions to improve those situations," write Dr. Zhong-Cheng Luo and coauthors.

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