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INFANT DEATHS Child mortality rates (1-4 years) Over the past 20 years, the mortality rate for children aged 1-4 years in Australia has declined. In 1990, the mortality rate for children aged 1-4 years was 0.4 deaths per 1,000 population. By 2010, this rate has decreased by more than half. States and territories Victoria recorded the lowest IMR in 2010 (3.3 infant deaths per 1,000 live births), followed by Western Australia (3.6) and the Australian Capital Territory (3.7). The Northern Territory's IMR of 7.2 was the highest of the states and territories, followed by Queensland (5.4). Some states and territories have experienced fluctuations in IMRs from year-to-year, due in part to the decline in the number of infant deaths, resulting in rates based on small numbers. Care should be taken when interpreting data for Queensland for 2010, as these data have been affected by the registration of outstanding deaths initiative undertaken by the Queensland Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages (see Technical Note: Registration of outstanding deaths, Queensland, 2010, and paragraph 36 of the Explanatory Notes for more information). Infant age at death In 2010, 33% of all infant deaths occurred within the first day of life, with a further 36% occurring within the first four weeks of life. Until around 1998, numbers of infant deaths at all ages were decreasing. Since then, the numbers appear to have remained relatively consistent from year-to-year.
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