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The Flemish Centre for the Study of Perinatal Epidemiology and its registry
1University Hospital, Catholic University Leuven, Belgium.
Insights
The Flemish Centre for Perinatal Epidemiology
Area of Science:
- Perinatal Epidemiology
- Public Health
- Maternal and Child Health
Background:
- Established in 1986, the Flemish Centre for the Study of Perinatal Epidemiology aims to advance perinatal epidemiology.
- Key objectives include studying maternal and perinatal mortality and morbidity.
- A perinatal medicine databank was created to support these goals.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze maternal and perinatal mortality and morbidity data in Flanders.
- To assess the accuracy of national statistics compared to regional data.
- To identify potential disparities in perinatal health outcomes.
Main Methods:
- Utilizing a perinatal medicine databank covering approximately 80% of Flemish deliveries.
- Comparing maternal death rates from the registry with official national statistics.
- Analyzing the variation in perinatal death rates across participating healthcare services.
Main Results:
- The registry reports a maternal death rate of 5.8/100,000 live births.
- This rate is significantly higher than the Belgian national average of 2.8/100,000 live births.
- Perinatal death rates exhibit substantial variation, ranging from 3.9% to 22.4% among services.
Conclusions:
- Discrepancies suggest potential underreporting in national maternal mortality data or a specific issue in Flanders.
- Significant variations in perinatal death rates highlight the need for further investigation into service-specific factors.
- The findings underscore the importance of robust regional data collection for accurate public health assessment.
Abstract:
The Flemish Centre for the Study of Perinatal Epidemiology was formally established in 1986. Its objectives are the promotion of perinatal epidemiology and the study of maternal and perinatal mortality and morbidity. One of the means to accomplish these objectives was the creation of a databank of perinatal medicine. The registry at present covers almost 80% of all deliveries in Flanders. The registry indicates a maternal death rate of 5.8/100,000 living births whereas the Belgian official national statistics indicate a maternal death rate of 2.8/100,000. This means that either the matter is under reported at the national level or there is a real problem in the Flemish part of the country. The perinatal death rate varies among the participating services form 3.9 to 22.4%.