Abstract
In 1986 The Office of Population Censuses and Surveys (OPCS) introduced new certificates for stillbirths and neonatal deaths. This allowed certifiers more flexibility in the completion of the certificate, and the number and ordering of the causes given. Tabulations have been published of the fetal and maternal causes of death mentioned on the certificates for every year from 1986 to 1991 in annual reference volumes. It has not been possible either to derive a single cause group for each death, however, or to compare the information available on neonatal deaths with that on postneonatal deaths, which are still derived from the standard death certificate. The aim of the work described here was to adapt previous classifications to derive a single cause grouping for stillbirths and infant deaths which would provide the maximum information about preventability and yet meet the national and international responsibilities of OPCS. The methods used and the tests carried out on the validity and consistency of the chosen classification are described.
Full text
PDF
Selected References
These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.
- BAIRD D., WALKER J., THOMSON A. M. The causes and prevention of stillbirths and first week deaths. III. A classification of deaths by clinical cause; the effect of age, parity and length of gestation on death rates by cause. J Obstet Gynaecol Br Emp. 1954 Aug;61(4):433–448. doi: 10.1111/j.1471-0528.1954.tb07507.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- BOUND J. P., BUTLER N. R., SPECTOR W. G. Classification and causes of perinatal mortality. II. Br Med J. 1956 Dec 1;2(5004):1260–1265. doi: 10.1136/bmj.2.5004.1260. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- BOUND J. P., BUTLER N. R., SPECTOR W. G. Classification and causes of perinatal mortality. Br Med J. 1956 Nov 24;2(5003):1191–contd. doi: 10.1136/bmj.2.5003.1191. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Barron S. L. How can we improve perinatal surveillance? Br J Obstet Gynaecol. 1986 Dec;93(12):1201–1203. doi: 10.1111/j.1471-0528.1986.tb07852.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Cole S. K., Hey E. N., Thomson A. M. Classifying perinatal death: an obstetric approach. Br J Obstet Gynaecol. 1986 Dec;93(12):1204–1212. doi: 10.1111/j.1471-0528.1986.tb07853.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Cole S., Hartford R. B., Bergsjø P., McCarthy B. International collaborative effort (ICE) on birth weight, plurality, perinatal, and infant mortality. III: A method of grouping underlying causes of infant death to aid international comparisons. Acta Obstet Gynecol Scand. 1989;68(2):113–117. doi: 10.3109/00016348909009897. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Gedalla B., Alderson M. R. Pilot study of revised stillbirth and neonatal death certificates. Arch Dis Child. 1984 Oct;59(10):976–982. doi: 10.1136/adc.59.10.976. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Hey E. N., Lloyd D. J., Wigglesworth J. S. Classifying perinatal death: fetal and neonatal factors. Br J Obstet Gynaecol. 1986 Dec;93(12):1213–1223. doi: 10.1111/j.1471-0528.1986.tb07854.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Murphy M., Botting B. Contrasts in the multiple causes of stillbirth, neonatal death and postneonatal death. J Epidemiol Community Health. 1989 Dec;43(4):343–345. doi: 10.1136/jech.43.4.343. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Wigglesworth J. S. Monitoring perinatal mortality. A pathophysiological approach. Lancet. 1980 Sep 27;2(8196):684–686. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(80)92717-8. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]