Child health in China

This paper reviews the existing data, mainly Chinese publications, on childhood diseases in order to assess the health status & morbidity patterns of Chinese children. China's infant mortality rate is among the very lowest in the developing world. The number of post-neonatal deaths as a proportion of total infant death has decreased to a level comparable to a developed country. The epidemiologic pattern of vaccine preventable diseases indicates that immunization activities have had a significant impact on the occurrence of these diseases. The overall prevalence of infectious diseases is decreasing and, relatively, the frequency of congenital defects is increasing as a major cause of childhood mortality. However, fecal-borne diseases such as dysentery, hepatitis, & ascariasis are still the predominant causes of morbidity. A secular improvement in the nutritional status of Chinese children is noted, but mild to moderate malnutrition still persists. This review looks at: the impact of the one-child family policy, which is creating different demands on the maternal & child health care service network; technological shortcomings in immunization activities, which are affecting coverage; the lack of better technical training, which is influencing health reporting & surveillance systems.