[The influence of infant mortality on fertility behavior (author's transl)].

Analysis of selected data from World Fertility Survey data collected between August and October 1978. 19,496 live births from 4532 ever married women are included. Infant mortality decreased from 100 per thousand births in the period 1940-55 to 40 per thousand in 1955. This suggests that the decrease in infant mortality preceded that of fertility, which has been decreasing since 1965. Infant mortality is higher for low and high parities and lower for intermediate parities. It is highest for 1st and lowest for 3rd order births. Infant mortality tended to be higher for rural women with low educational levels, but these differences are narrowing. Parity progression ratios were still above 77% in 1965. These have recently fallen to below 50% after the 3rd birth. Differences by age, duration of marriage, number of sons, and experience of infant death are especially notable for the birth group after 1965. Birth intervals become shorter as birth orders become higher. Birth intervals were also shorter among women who had experienced the death of an infant. Path analysis was used to uncover factors affecting progression to higher parities after the 3rd birth. A high correlation was found between birth interval or parity progression ratio and contraceptive practice during the period from 3rd to 4th birth. High correlation was also found between birth interval and sociodemographic characteristics of women. (Author's modified)