Emerging Lingo-Cultural Inequality in Infant Autopsy in Quebec, Canada

Abstract

We investigated trends in infant autopsy for Francophones and Anglophones in Quebec, Canada. Using death certificates, we extracted 8214 infant deaths between 1989 and 2013. We computed rates of non-autopsy by language, socioeconomic disadvantage, age at death, and period. Using Kitagawa’s method, we decomposed non-autopsy rates over time for both language groups. Infant non-autopsy rates increased from 38.6 to 56.2 per 100 for Francophones, and from 41.2 to 57.2 per 100 for Anglophones, between 1989–1995 and 2008–2013. Trends in English-speakers were driven by socioeconomically disadvantaged Anglophones, and were accelerated by a larger proportion of deaths in this group over time. For French-speakers, rates increased in all socioeconomic groups. The increase in non-autopsy rates was larger at early neonatal ages for both languages. These findings suggest that disadvantaged Anglophones are less likely to use infant autopsy over time, and that rates can be improved by targeting early neonatal deaths.