Hyaline membrane disease is underreported in a linked birth-infant death certificate database.
OBJECTIVE
This study compared the Missouri State Department of Health linked birth-infant death certificate database and medical records with respect to recording hyaline membrane disease in very low-birth-weight infants.


METHODS
We reviewed the records for all 976 infants weighing 500 to 1500 g who were born to St. Louis, Mo, residents in 1989, 1991, and 1992.


RESULTS
Eighteen percent of the birth certificates and 54% of the medical records documented hyaline membrane disease, resulting in 34% sensitivity and 99% specificity.


CONCLUSIONS
The Missouri State Department of Health birth-infant death certificate database underestimates the incidence of hyaline membrane disease, which suggest that national statistics for the disease are also underestimated.
Hamvas
A
A
Edward Mallinckrodt Department of Pediatrics, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Mo, USA.
Kwong
P
P
DeBaun
M
M
Schramm
W
W
Cole
F S
FS
D001719:Birth Certificates; D016208:Databases, Factual; D003644:Death Certificates; D006801:Humans; D006819:Hyaline Membrane Disease / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015994:Incidence; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D019102:Infant, Very Low Birth Weight; D008498:Medical Record Linkage; D008923:Missouri / Q000453:epidemiology; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity