title: Socioeconomic differences in perinatal health and disease.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The Danish Medical Birth Register has been used extensively in conjunction with other national registers to examine different aspects of socioeconomic differences in perinatal health outcomes. Here, we review some recent findings.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Socioeconomic differences were observed in stillbirth, preterm birth, birthweight, congenital anomalies, and infant death. The patterns varied according to the health outcome and measure of socioeconomic position, but also according to the time period and the country under study. Our review also shows how many different strategies have been used to examine the influence of socioeconomic factors on perinatal health.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Danish register data is an invaluable source of information on socioeconomic differences in perinatal health. Danish registers continue to provide excellent opportunities for research and surveillance in this area.
authors.affiliation: Section of Social Medicine, Department of Public Health, University of Copenhagen, Denmark. laust.mortensen@gmail.com
authors.forename: Laust Hvas
authors.initials: LH
authors.lastname: Mortensen
authors.forename: Karin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Helweg-Larsen
authors.forename: Anne-Marie Nybo
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Andersen
mesh_terms: D000013:Congenital Abnormalities / Q000453:epidemiology; D003718:Denmark / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000208:ethnology; D054242:Emigrants and Immigrants; D005260:Female; D054624:Health Status Disparities; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007226:Infant Mortality; D007229:Infant Welfare; D008429:Maternal Welfare; D054238:Perinatal Mortality; D011247:Pregnancy; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome; D047928:Premature Birth; D012042:Registries / Q000592:standards; D018456:Reproductive Medicine; D012923:Social Class; D050497:Stillbirth