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Hospital costs associated with stillbirth delivery
Katherine J Gold1, Ananda Sen, Xiao Xu
1Department of Family Medicine, University of Michigan, 1018 Fuller Street, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104-1213, USA, ktgold@umich.edu.
Maternal and Child Health Journal
|December 18, 2012
Summary
Fetal deaths, or stillbirths, incur significant hospital costs, averaging over $750 more than live births. This economic burden highlights the need for further research into the full impact of stillbirths.
Area of Science:
- Perinatal Medicine
- Health Economics
- Obstetrics
Background:
- Fetal deaths represent approximately 1% of US births, with substantial associated hospital costs.
- Limited data exists on the economic burden of fetal death.
- Understanding these costs is crucial for healthcare resource allocation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To quantify the economic impact of stillbirth on maternal hospital costs.
- To identify factors associated with increased costs and length of stay for stillbirth deliveries.
- To compare hospital costs and length of stay between stillbirth and live birth deliveries.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective medical chart review of stillbirths and matched live births across three Michigan hospitals over ten years.
- Inclusion of 533 stillbirths and 1,053 matched live births in the final analysis.
- Analysis of medical complications, hospital costs, and length of stay.
Main Results:
- Average hospital cost for stillbirth was $7,495 (±7,015) with an average length of stay of 2.8 days (±2.8).
- Stillbirth deliveries incurred over $750 higher hospital costs compared to live births; length of stay was not significantly different.
- Serious maternal complications, early stillbirths (20-28 weeks), anesthesia, and cesarean delivery were linked to longer hospital stays.
Conclusions:
- Stillbirths are associated with considerable maternal hospital costs.
- Maternal medical complications and delivery characteristics significantly influence costs and length of stay.
- Further research is needed to assess the total economic impact, including care beyond labor and delivery.
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