Audit reveals ‘low’ perinatal death rates

The first national audit into the death of babies in the weeks before or after birth shows that perinatal mortality rates here compare very favourably with UK and European figures.

The perinatal mortality rate for 2011 was 6.1 per 1,000 births and rates have continued to decrease since then.

Perinatal mortality is regarded as an important indicator of the quality of obstetric and neonatal care. It refers to the death of babies in the weeks before or after birth including stillbirths – babies born with no signs of life after 24 weeks of pregnancy or weighing at least 500g – and the deaths of babies within 28 days of being born.

Director of the National Perinatal Epidemiology Centre (NPEC), Prof Richard Greene, said, "The figures for Ireland are very good, showing low rates of perinatal deaths. They are similar or better than the UK and European figures which is very reassuring. And our rates have decreased by about 10 per cent in the four years since the NPEC reported national figures."

National audit
The national audit, which is being launched today, was carried out by the NPEC based in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at University College Cork, in collaboration with the medical and midwifery staff from the 20 individual maternity units around the State.

A total of 491 perinatal deaths in 2011 were recorded, arising from 74,265 births of at least 24 weeks gestation or at least 500g in birthweight.

Stillbirths, deaths within the first seven days of life (early neonatal deaths) and deaths within the first eight to 28 days of life (late neonatal deaths) accounted for 318 (65 per cent), 138 (28 per cent) and 35 (7 per cent) of the 491 deaths respectively.

Major congenital anomaly was the most common cause of death accounting for 26 per cent of stillbirths, 51 per cent of deaths within seven days and 57 of deaths in the 8-28 day range.

Prof Greene said in other countries, pregnancies where congenital or chromosomal abnormalities were detected, were often terminated at an earlier stage, but this was not the case in Ireland due to abortion laws. If only normally formed babies were taken into account, the perinatal mortality rate would reduce to 4.1 per 1,000.