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Updated: Jan 16, 2026
A Novel Method for Involving Women of Color at High Risk for Preterm Birth in Research Priority Setting
Published on: January 12, 2018
Lessons to be learned: a retrospective study of MBRRACE-UK perinatal mortality surveillance (2015-2024) to identify
Pauline McDonagh Hull1, Tiffany Boulton2, Bonnie Lashewicz2
1Department of Community Health Sciences, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, CWPH Building, 3280 Hospital Drive NW, Calgary, AB T2N 4Z6, Canada.
Background:
This study aimed to identify maternity services in England that most consistently reported both higher-than-average and lower-than-average rates of extended perinatal mortality (EPM), including stillbirths and neonatal deaths, throughout the government's decade-long National Maternity Safety Ambition to halve the rate of stillbirths and neonatal deaths.
Methods:
We conducted a retrospective study of MBRRACE-UK Perinatal Mortality Surveillance Reports (2015-2024) to compare EPM rates for births occurring in 121 organizations providing maternity services in England between 2013 and 2022. Utilizing MBRRACE-UK definitions and designations, we devised a scoring method to determine which organizations most consistently reported higher-than-average and lower-than-average deaths.
Results:
We identified 10 organisations providing maternity services (8.3%) with the five highest scores and 15 (12.4%) with the five lowest scores. A total of 20 organisations (16.5%) reported higher-than-average deaths in ≥80% of MBRRACE-UK reports and/or each of the past five years, and 22 (18.2%) reported lower-than-average deaths. Strong indications of a North-South divide for EPM were evident.
Conclusions:
We provide evidence of regional EPM variation over the past decade, building on previous study findings of a North-South mortality divide in England. We propose that shared learning between outlier maternity services has the potential to ameliorate avoidable harm.
