Open AccessDeclining perinatal mortality in a region of Finland, 1968-82.
Author(s) -
Paula Piekkala,
Risto Erkkola,
Pentti Kero,
A. Tenovuo,
Matti Sillanpää
Publication year - 1985
Publication title -
american journal of public health
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.284
H-Index - 264
eISSN - 1541-0048
pISSN - 0090-0036
DOI - 10.2105/ajph.75.2.156
Subject(s) - medicine , respiratory distress , infant mortality , pediatrics , neonatal mortality , obstetrics , umbilical cord , perinatal mortality , demography , pregnancy , fetus , population , environmental health , surgery , genetics , sociology , biology , anatomy
Perinatal mortality (PNM) in the catchment area of the University Central Hospital of Turku (UCHT), Finland, was investigated during a 15-year period from 1968 to 1982. During the study period, 82,151 babies were born, there were 531 fetal deaths and 505 cases of early neonatal death. The PNM rate declined during the study period from 17.9 in 1968 to 7.0 in 1982, or from 14.8 to 4.6 when infants weighing less than 1000 grams were excluded. Significant declines occurred in PNM due to maternal illness, placental and umbilical cord complications, other asphyxias and respiratory distress syndrome. We believe the centralization of obstetric and neonatal services for risk cases, the introduction of modern obstetric and neonatal management, and continuing education of personnel at every level of maternity and neonatal care accounted for the decline.