Extremes of maternal age and child mortality: analysis between 2000 and 2009* *This study is part of the Research Project: “Child Mortality: progression from illness to death, Londrina-PR”, Pró-Reitoria de Pesquisa e Pós-Graduação (PROPPG), Universidade Estadual de Londrina, Londrina, PR, Brazil.

AbstractOBJECTIVETo analyze the characteristics of infant mortality at the extremes of maternal age.METHODRetrospective, cross-sectional quantitative study using data from Live Birth Certificates, Death Certificates and from Child Death Investigation records in Londrina, Paraná, in the years of 2000–2009.RESULTSDuring the 10-year study period, there were 176 infant deaths among mothers up to 19 years of age, and 113 deaths among mothers aged 35 years or more. The infant mortality rate among young mothers was 14.4 deaths per thousand births, compared to 12.9 deaths in the other age group. For adolescent mothers, the following conditions prevailed: lack of a stable partner (P<0.001), lack of a paid job (P<0.001), late start of prenatal care in the second trimester of pregnancy (P<0.001), fewer prenatal visits (P<0.001) and urinary tract infections (P<0.001). On the other hand, women aged 35 or more had a higher occurrence of hypertension during pregnancy (P<0.001), and of surgical delivery (P