[Infant mortality trends compared with trends in handicapped children in Isere, 1976-1985].

Since 1960 progress in obstetric and neonatology modified the survival chance of babies and the pattern of mortality causes. With the information available in the death certificates the aim was to analyse the trends in infant mortality for all 0-1 year children deaths occurring from 1976 to 1991, and to look at its influence on disabled children prevalence rates. The study was conducted in Isere (France) and include 1702 infant deaths. A part from death groups with perinatal disease and/or with congenital defects, a group of deaths with risk factor of disability was identified. This group represented 43% of all the infantile deaths and showed a significant decreasing trend, very similar to the decrease of the early neonatal mortality component (until 1983). However, during the same period, for the disabled children prevalence and for the other infant mortality components, no significant variation was found. The decrease of the deaths with risk factor of disability suggests some influence on the disabled children prevalence.