Stillbirths and neonatal mortality as outcomes.
Several recent studies in low-resource countries have claimed that training in-and increased use of-newborn resuscitation resulted in reduced stillbirth rates. In the present article, we explore the ability of various types of birth attendant in some low-resource country locations to gather data that accurately differentiate a stillbirth from a live birth/early neonatal death. We conclude that, in many situations, it cannot be determined whether the infant was a stillbirth or a live birth/early neonatal death, and therefore the least-biased description of study outcomes includes a combined stillbirth and live birth/neonatal death outcome. However, because defining the burden of stillbirth and neonatal death is important from a public health perspective, every effort should be made, in low-income countries and elsewhere, to distinguish between stillbirths and live births/neonatal deaths and to report the results independently.
Department of Obstetrics, Columbia University School of Medicine, New York, USA. Electronic address: rlg88@columbia.edu.
Robert L
RL
Goldenberg
Elizabeth M
EM
McClure
Alan H
AH
Jobe
Beena D
BD
Kamath-Rayne
Michael G
MG
Gravette
Craig E
CE
Rubens
D003643:Death; D003906:Developing Countries; D005260:Female; D005313:Fetal Death / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D007226:Infant Mortality; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D050498:Live Birth; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D011247:Pregnancy; D012151:Resuscitation / Q000379:methods; D050497:Stillbirth / Q000453:epidemiology*
Perinatal mortality; Resuscitation; Stillbirth