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Effect of nonviable infants on the infant mortality rate in Philadelphia, 1992
E Gibson1, J Culhane, T Saunders
1Division of Neonatology, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, Pa. 19107, USA. eric.gibson@mail.tju.edu
Objectives:
This report measured the effect of births at 22 weeks' gestation or earlier on infant mortality in Philadelphia, Pa.
Methods:
The proportion of live-born deliveries at 22 weeks or earlier was calculated. Overall and race-specific infant mortality was calculated after excluding live-born deliveries at 22 weeks' gestation or earlier.
Results:
Of all deliveries, 1.5% were at 22 weeks or earlier. Of these, 68% were stillborn and 32% were live-born. Large hospital-to-hospital variation in the proportion of live-born deliveries at 22 weeks' gestation or earlier was noted. When nonviable births were excluded, overall infant mortality decreased 40%.
Conclusions:
The development of a standardized birth certificate policy is needed and will facilitate comparisons of infant mortality across spatial boundaries and racial/ethnic groups.
