• Paulo Jorge Nogueira, Catarina Camarinha, Rodrigo Feteira-Santos, Andreia Silva Costa, Miguel De-Araújo-Nobre, Leonor Bacelar-Nicolau, Cristina Furtado, and Cecília Elias.
• Escola Nacional de Saúde Pública (ENSP). Centro de Investigação em Saúde Pública (CISP). Comprehensive Health Research Center (CHRC). Universidade NOVA de Lisboa. Lisboa; Laboratório Associado TERRA. Instituto de Saúde Ambiental. Faculdade de Medicina. Universidade de Lisboa. Lisboa; EPI Task-Force. Faculdade de Medicina. Universidade de Lisboa. Lisboa. Portugal.
• Acta Medica Port. 2024 Apr 1; 37 (4): 247250247-250.

IntroductionThe COVID-19 pandemic significantly impacted global public health. Infant mortality rate (IMR), a vital statistic and key indicator of a population's overall health, is essential for developing effective health prevention programs. Existing evidence primarily indicates a decrease in IMR during the COVID-19 pandemic. We conducted a national-level analysis to calculate IMR and describe its course over the years (from 2016 until 2022), using a month-by-month analysis.MethodsData on the number of deaths under one year of age was collected from the Portuguese E-Death Certification System (SICO), and data on the number of monthly live births was obtained from Statistics Portugal. The IMR was calculated per month, considering the previous 12 months' cumulative number of deaths under one year of age and the number of live births.ResultsIn Portugal, the IMR decreased before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. The lowest values were observed in September and October 2021 (2.15 and 2.14 per 1000 live births, respectively). The IMR remained below the threshold of three deaths per 1000 live births during the pandemic's critical period.ConclusionPortugal has achieved remarkable progress in reducing its IMR over the last 60 years. The country recorded its lowest-ever IMR values during the COVID-19 pandemic. Further studies are needed to fully understand the observed trends.

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