ABSTRACT

Infant mortality are among the health indicators of importance in a given population or country.  it is the third sustainable development goal that by 2030, all the united Nation member countries are expected to have reduced infant mortality rate as low as 12 per 1000 live birth.  This study examined the determinants of infant mortality in Nigeria, the study considered ten risk factors of infant mortality namely: Age of mother at birth of the child, sex of the child, place of residence, mother’s level of education, wealth index, parity, birth order, type of birth, size of the child at birth, age of mother at first birth, Data were extracted from Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS) conducted in the year 2013 based on national representative sample of 38,948 (urban  = 15,548 rural  = 23,403) women age 15-49 drawn from 38,522 (urban 15,859, rural 22,663) households selected using a stratified two-stage cluster sampling technique.  The study adopted four different models namely: Standard Cox Hazard model Weibull Cox regression model, Exponentiated-weibull regression model and Cox Frailty model.  The study revealed that maternal age at birth of the child, wealth index, mother’s level of education contribute significantly to infant mortality in Nigeria.  The finding also showed that children born to mothers with no formal education have a significantly higher risk of mortality than children born to mothers who have primary, secondary or more than secondary education.  Furthermore infant born to poorest households measured by wealth index have higher risk of dying before reaching age one.