Gazibara, Tatjana (36494484100)Tatjana (36494484100)GazibaraKisic-Tepavcevic, Darija (57218390033)Darija (57218390033)Kisic-TepavcevicDotlic, Jelena (6504769174)Jelena (6504769174)DotlicMatejic, Bojana (9840705300)Bojana (9840705300)MatejicGrgurevic, Anita (12780453700)Anita (12780453700)GrgurevicPekmezovic, Tatjana (7003989932)Tatjana (7003989932)Pekmezovic2025-06-122025-06-122013https://doi.org/10.1007/s10995-012-1039-2https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-84880697783&doi=10.1007%2fs10995-012-1039-2&partnerID=40&md5=3df80e25b1f7f60e582b743134e1c8b7https://remedy.med.bg.ac.rs/handle/123456789/9102The population of the Republic of Serbia has been exposed to radical changes in living standards and employment status and inequalities in utilization of health-care services. Given that infant mortality rates (IMR) reflect general community health, we evaluated the trends and mortality structure of Belgrade's infant population for a 15-year period (1993-2007). Data were collected from published and unpublished materials of the Municipal Institute of Statistics in Belgrade. Records were based on official notifications of live-born infants and death certificates. A linear regression equation was used to estimate mortality trends over time, while an F test was performed to assess the significance of the linear regression coefficient. The average IMR was 11.3 [95 % confidence interval (CI) 9.4, 13.2] per 1,000 live births for both sexes with a higher average rate observed for male infants. Throughout the whole period, a statistically significant declining trend (y = 17.072 - 0.721x, p = 0.001) was noted. The most common causes of death were conditions occurring during the perinatal period, with an average annual mortality rate of 7.7 [95 % CI 6.4, 8.9] per 1,000, arising mainly from respiratory distress of the newborns. Regarding congenital anomalies, deformations of the heart and aortic and mitral valves were most frequently found. A statistically significant inverse correlation was observed between average net salary and IMR for each sex separately (for males r = -0.727, p = 0.002, for females r = -0.721, p = 0.002) and for both sexes jointly (r = -0.759, p = 0.001). A decline in infant mortality in Belgrade has been observed. However, further promotion of health-related activities, as well as continuous surveillance of IMR, is required. © 2012 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC.BelgradeInfant mortalitySerbiaTrend