title: Variations in perinatal mortality in Gloucestershire: preliminary communication.
abstract: The perinatal mortality rate (PNMR) was calculated for each rural parish in Gloucestershire for the years 1968-79. The characteristics of high- and low-rate parishes (each set comprising about 10% of all births) were contrasted according to routinely recorded fetal, maternal and environmental variables. The overall PNMR in the high-rate set was six times higher than in the low-rate set; congenital malformations and low birth weight distribution could explain about one-third of this difference but the residue was not attributable to fetal gestation, maternal age or parity or social class as may have been expected. However, there was a strong association with population and housing density. It is suggested that comparisons within districts may provide more sensitive associations with PNMR than comparisons between districts, regions and countries.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001724:Birth Weight; D000013:Congenital Abnormalities / Q000453:epidemiology; D003625:Data Collection; D004739:England; D005260:Female; D005313:Fetal Death; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007226:Infant Mortality; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008423:Maternal Age; D010298:Parity; D011247:Pregnancy; D012424:Rural Population; D012931:Social Environment