Substantial decline in infant mortality during the 20th Century

The infant mortality rate, or the number of deaths for infants less than one year of age per 1,000 live births, was 4.8 in 2011, the lowest rate ever recorded in Canada.
The decline in infant mortality was substantial during the last century, but the gains were slower for neonatal (0 to 27 days of life) and early neonatal (0 to 6 days of life) mortality.
In Canada in 2011, about three-quarters (76%) of infant deaths were neonatal, that is, occurred during the first 27 days of life. However, the majority of deaths occurred during the early neonatal period, that is, during the first six days of life. In 2011, close to two out of three infant deaths (63%) occurred during this period, with an additional 13% occurring between 7 and 27 days of life.

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