Document Detail


The challenge of fetal mortality.
MedLine Citation:
PMID:  19389328     Owner:  NLM     Status:  MEDLINE    
Abstract/OtherAbstract:
Data from the Fetal Death Data File and Linked Birth/Infant Death Data Set, National Vital Statistics System. The magnitude of fetal mortality is considerable: About 1 million fetal deaths occur at any gestational age in the United States each year, including almost 26,000 at 20 weeks of gestation or more; Even when limited to fetal deaths of 20 weeks of gestation or more, nearly as many fetal deaths as infant deaths occur in the United States each year; After decades of decline, the U.S. fetal mortality rate (fetal deaths of 20 weeks of gestation or more) did not decrease from 2003 to 2005; Fetal mortality rates are substantially higher for non-Hispanic black and American Indian or Alaska Native women than for non-Hispanic white women; Compared with the U.S. average, fetal mortality rates are higher for teenagers and for women aged 35 years and over, for twin and higher-order pregnancies, and for women with more than two previous pregnancies. Fetal mortality is a major, but often overlooked, public health problem. Fetal mortality refers to spontaneous intrauterine death at any time during pregnancy. Fetal deaths later in pregnancy are sometimes referred to as stillbirths (at 20 weeks of gestation or more, or 28 weeks or more, for example). Much of the public concern regarding reproductive loss has concentrated on infant mortality, as less is known about fetal mortality. However, the impact of fetal mortality on U.S. families is considerable.This report examines fetal death data from the National Vital Statistics System (NVSS). Vital statistics fetal death data are generally presented for fetal deaths of 20 weeks of gestation or more. Other data sources provide estimates of fetal deaths for all periods of gestation. For example, the National Survey of Family Growth estimates about 1 million fetal losses per year in the United States, with the vast majority of these occurring before 20 weeks of gestation.
Authors:
Marian F Macdorman; Sharon Kirmeyer
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Publication Detail:
Type:  Journal Article    
Journal Detail:
Title:  NCHS data brief     Volume:  -     ISSN:  1941-4927     ISO Abbreviation:  NCHS Data Brief     Publication Date:  2009 Apr 
Date Detail:
Created Date:  2009-04-24     Completed Date:  2009-05-13     Revised Date:  -    
Medline Journal Info:
Nlm Unique ID:  101495625     Medline TA:  NCHS Data Brief     Country:  United States    
Other Details:
Languages:  eng     Pagination:  1-8     Citation Subset:  IM    
Copyright Information:
All material appearing in this report is in the public domain and may be reproduced or copied without permission; citation as to source, however, is appreciated.
Affiliation:
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention National Center for Health Statistics 3311 Toledo Road, Hyattsville, Maryland 20782, USA.
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MeSH Terms
Descriptor/Qualifier:
Adolescent
Adult
Female
Fetal Mortality / ethnology,  trends*
Humans
Middle Aged
Pregnancy
Risk Factors
United States / epidemiology
Young Adult

From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine


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