Seasonal variation in childhood mortality

Abstract

Aim: This ecological study was carried out to determine the cyclic trends in the rate of perinatal and infant mortality and among children aged under 15 years who died in traffic accidents or from drowning, respiratory disease or cancer. Methods: Monthly data on the numbers of live births, perinatal and infant deaths, and deaths from respiratory disease, cancer, traffic accidents, accidental drowning, and submersion in children aged under 15 years were obtained from the Hungarian nationwide population register. The data were aggregated over the study period and cyclic trends were investigated using the Walter–Elwood and negative binomial regression methods. Results: Significant double-peak (May and November) trends were found in mortality rates for perinatal and infant deaths, respectively. Additionally, significant (p-value