This site is intended for UK healthcare professionals
Medscape UK Univadis Logo
Medscape UK Univadis Logo
News

UK rates of stillbirths and neonatal deaths

The latest report from MBRRACE-UK (Mothers and Babies: Reducing Risk through Audits and Confidential Enquiries across the UK) shows the rate of stillbirth associated with twin pregnancy in the United Kingdom reduced by around 44% from 2014 to 2016. Rates of neonatal mortality associated with twin pregnancy have similarly reduced by a third.

The MBRRACE-UK Perinatal Mortality Surveillance Report also demonstrates that the increased risk for stillbirth and neonatal death in twin pregnancies compared with singleton pregnancies has reduced by just less than a third.

Overall, the rate of neonatal mortality in the United Kingdom has shown a slow but steady decline over the period 2013 to 2016, from 1.84 to 1.72 deaths per 1000 live births. There has been little change in the extended perinatal mortality rate: 5.64 per 1000 total births for babies born at 24+0 weeks gestational age or later in 2016 compared with 5.61 per 1000 total births in 2015. However, this represents an overall fall from 6.04 deaths per 1000 total births in 2013.

The stillbirth rate has remained fairly static at 3.93 per 1000 total births. This follows a 3-year period of reduction from 4.20 stillbirths per 1000 total births in 2013 to 3.87 per 1000 total births in 2015.

The report also highlights some issues that require further attention. It says a national forum should be established by NHS England, the Scottish government, NHS Wales, and the Northern Ireland Department of Health, in conjunction with professional bodies and national healthcare advisors responsible for clinical standards in relevant specialties, in order to agree an appropriate benchmark against which stillbirth and neonatal mortality rates should be monitored across the United Kingdom.


References


YOU MAY ALSO LIKE