Fetal death ratios in a prospective study compared to state fetal death certificate reporting
M.K. Goldhaber
American Journal of Public Health, 1989, vol. 79, issue 9, 1268-1270
Abstract:
A cohort of 6,254 pregnancies surviving at least 20 weeks of gestation was identified through pregnancy testing and follow-up at three Kaiser Permanente medical offices in northern California in 1981-82. Fetal death ratios per 1,000 live births were 12.1 for all fetal deaths versus 5.0 for the subset of fetal deaths reported to the California state registrar. Only fetal deaths resulting in overnight hospitalization of the mother were reported. Seventy-nine percent of fetal deaths over 28 completed weeks since the last menstrual period (LMP) were reported versus only 10 percent between 20 and 28 completed weeks since the LMP. Ninety-three percent of fetuses over 400 grams were reported. The unreported fetal deaths were mainly those perceived by attending physicians as spontaneous abortion, especially missed or incomplete spontaneous abortion. Physicians apparently preferred the label of spontaneous abortion over stillbirth or fetal death whenever fetal maturity could not be substantiated, regardless of prior estimates of the date of the LMP. Fetuses as large and developed as potentially viable infants were the most likely to be reported.
Date: 1989
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)
There are no downloads for this item, see the EconPapers FAQ for hints about obtaining it.
Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.
Export reference: BibTeX
RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan)
HTML/Text
Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:aph:ajpbhl:1989:79:9:1268-1270_0
Access Statistics for this article
American Journal of Public Health is currently edited by Alfredo Morabia
More articles in American Journal of Public Health from American Public Health Association
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Christopher F Baum ().