title: Perinatal mortality survey in Jamaica: aims and methodology.
abstract: The Jamaican Perinatal Mortality Survey was designed to identify the true perinatal mortality rate, and assess the factors which could contribute towards a reduction in perinatal mortality on the island. All births in a 2-month period (n = 10527) were compared with all perinatal deaths occurring over a 12-month period (n = 2069). Over half the deaths (n = 1058) received a detailed post-mortem examination. Use of the Wigglesworth classification identifies the major component of perinatal death in this country to be associated with intrapartum asphyxia (44% of deaths). Deaths due to congenital malformations and miscellaneous causes contribute relatively little (< 10%) to the overall mortality rate. Over a quarter of deaths apparently occur before the onset of labour, and a fifth are prematurely liveborn but die of causes related to immaturity.
authors.affiliation: Ministry of Health, Kingston, Jamaica.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ashley
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: McCaw-Binns
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Golding
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Keeling
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Escoffery
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Coard
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Foster-Williams
mesh_terms: D001344:Autopsy; D015982:Bias; D002423:Cause of Death; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D005313:Fetal Death; D006040:Goals; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D007226:Infant Mortality; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007563:Jamaica / Q000453:epidemiology; D011247:Pregnancy; D012107:Research Design