الفهرس 
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Abstract
Egypt has experienced a gradual considerable decline in the rate of infant mortality with its components since the early sixties with a sharper decline during the eighties because of the National Control of Diarrhoeal Diseases Project (NCDDP). Fertility of any population depends on a large number of biological factors, but also on a wide variety of social norms and practices. Many interacting biological and sociocultural variables affect pregnancy wastage and infant loss which in turn affect fertility behaviour and motives. Aim of the work is to study: 1) The causes of infant mortality and stillbirth in Alexandria, 1991, from the records and through verbal autopsy. 2) The degree of concordance between verbal autopsy and registered causes of infant deaths and stillbirths. 3) The impact of infant mortality and stillbirths on reproductive intentions and their patterns of the mothers. This study was carried out by visiting all health offices in Alexandria governorate (31 urban and 22 rural offices), and all records of deceased infants and stillbirths were reviewed to identify the total registered numbers of infant deaths and stillbirths for the year 1991. Twenty-five percent of the records of deceased infants and stillbirths in each health office were selected using the systematic random technique (n = 442 infant deaths and 163 stillbirth cases). An equal number of controls were selected. Selection criteria included age at birth, sex and no previous history of infant death or SB in their families. Controls were selected from next door neighbours in the same building or in the same street. All the sample cases and their controls were studied through home visits and their mother were interviewed using a structured pre-tested questionnaire. The study showed the following mains results: 1) Recorded infant mortality rate and stillbirth ratio in Alexandria, 1991 were found to be 27.81 per 1000 LBs (IMR), 11.63 per 1000 LBs (SB ratio). Higher infant deaths and stillbirths were recorded in urban than in rural areas (28.5 and 13.52 per 1000 LBs respectively). The highest IMR was recorded in the Middle Zone (43.19 per 1000 LBs), while the highest SB ratio was that in the West Zone (29.42 per 1000 LBs). Higher IMR and SB ratio (29.7 and 13.68 per 1000 LBs respectively) were among males than females.