CDC: stillbirths now outnumber infant deaths in U.S.

CDC: stillbirths now outnumber infant deaths in U.S.
Stillbirths have eclipsed infant deaths for the first time in the United States, according to new research published in the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's July 23 National Vital Statistics Report.

(HealthDay)—Stillbirths have eclipsed infant deaths for the first time in the United States, according to new research published in the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's July 23 National Vital Statistics Report.

"The number of fetal deaths is now slightly higher than the number of ," report coauthor Elizabeth Gregory, M.P.H., a health statistician at the CDC's National Center for Health Statistics, told HealthDay. In 2013, there were 23,595 fetal deaths at 20 weeks of gestation or more, compared to 23,446 infant deaths. The report did not include abortions, Gregory said.

Although fetal death rates overall have remained largely unchanged, they are higher for certain populations, including teens, women aged 35 and over, and unmarried women, along with and multiple fetuses, the researchers found. But significant racial disparities also emerged in the report.

In 2013, the fetal death rate for black women stood at 10.5 per 1,000 pregnancies, which was more than twice the rate for white women and Asian or Pacific Islander women, researchers found. The fetal death rate for American Indian or Alaska Native women was 27 percent higher than the rate for white women, while it was 7 percent higher for Hispanic women.

More information: More Information

Copyright © 2015 HealthDay. All rights reserved.

Citation: CDC: stillbirths now outnumber infant deaths in U.S. (2015, July 24) retrieved 28 March 2024 from https://medicalxpress.com/news/2015-07-cdc-stillbirths-outnumber-infant-deaths.html
This document is subject to copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study or research, no part may be reproduced without the written permission. The content is provided for information purposes only.

Explore further

Mothers with higher BMI have increased risk of stillbirth, infant death

16 shares

Feedback to editors