[Perinatal mortality in Denmark. An analysis of development assessed in connection with medically induced abortion...

Based upon data from the Danish National Register of Causes of Deaths, the Birth Register and registers on induced abortions and congenital malformations the article analyses the trend in the Danish perinatal mortality and the impact of abortions induced on medical grounds during the period 1980-1993. Estimating that half of the induced abortions might have led to a perinatal death it is concluded that the perinatal mortality would still have been significantly reduced from the late 1980s to 1990-1993. It is stressed that the impact of induced abortions be included in analyses of trends in perinatal mortality. The perinatal deaths are classified in nine categories by which a grouping into non-avoidable (unexplained intrauterine deaths and deaths due to congenital birth defects) and avoidable deaths (all other categories) was possible. The classification mixed pathoanatomical, obstetrical and paediatric criteria and facilitated an evaluation of the trend in mortality in relation to health care. The recent decrease in the overall perinatal mortality to 7.5 per 1.000 born was both due to a fall in deaths caused by prematurity and in deaths due to congenital birth defects. The deaths due to prematurity were not significantly linked to maternal smoking during pregnancy and no differences could be found in the overall prenatal screening between mothers who lost a baby due to malformations and all mothers.