THURSDAY, April 14 (HealthDay News) -- Stillbirth rates in high-income countries may be influenced by modifiable risk factors, but more than 75 percent of stillbirths occur in low-income countries where the reduction in stillbirth rates is happening at a slower pace than that of mortality in children under the age of 5, according to two articles published online April 14 as part of a special series on stillbirths in The Lancet.
Vicki Flenady, of the Mater Medical Research Institute in South Brisbane, Australia, and colleagues assessed 96 population-based studies of risk factors for stillbirth to identify priority areas for stillbirth prevention in high-income countries. They found maternal overweight and obesity the highest ranking modifiable risk factor, contributing to 8,000 stillbirths yearly in high-income countries, followed by advanced maternal age and smoking, which contribute to 4,200 and 2,800 stillbirths, respectively. They concluded that raising awareness and implementing interventions to address these risks are priority areas in high-income countries.
Simon Cousens, of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, and colleagues increased input data, used recent data, and applied improved modeling approaches to develop a more reliable estimate of national, regional, and global stillbirth rates than the two estimates produced in 2000. They estimated the global stillbirth rate at 2.64 million in 2009, down from 3.03 million in 1995, and determined that 76.2 percent of stillbirths in 2009 occurred in south Asia and sub-Saharan Africa. The authors note that the reduction in stillbirth rates is slower than the reduction in mortality for children younger than 5 years of age.
"This study draws attention to the dearth of reliable data in regions where most stillbirths occur. The estimated trend in stillbirth rate reduction is slower than that for maternal mortality and lags behind the increasing progress in reducing deaths in children younger than 5 years. Improved data and improved use of data are crucial to ensure that stillbirths count in global and national policy," Cousens and colleagues conclude.
One author of the first study disclosed receiving payment for providing expert testimony in a court of law.
Abstract - Flenady
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Abstract - Cousens
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