Fetal Deaths
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Fetal death refers to the spontaneous intrauterine death of a fetus at any time during pregnancy. Fetal deaths later in pregnancy (at 20 weeks of gestation or more, or 28 weeks or more, for example) are also sometimes referred to as stillbirths. In the United States, State laws require the reporting of fetal deaths, and Federal law mandates national collection and publication of fetal death data. Most states report fetal deaths of 20 weeks of gestation or more and/or 350 grams birthweight. However, a few states report fetal deaths for all periods of gestation. Fetal death data is published annually by the National Center for Health Statistics, in reports and as individual-record data files.
Publications
NCHS Data Briefs
- The Challenge of Fetal Mortality. NCHS Data Brief No. 16
PDF Version (528 KB)
National Vital Statistics Reports
- Fetal and Perinatal Mortality, United States, 2005, Vol. 57, No. 8
PDF Version (522 KB) - Fetal and Perinatal Mortality, United States, 2004, Vol. 56, No. 3
PDF Version (520 KB) Notice of Error in the 2003 and 2004 Fetal Death Data Files and Reports - Fetal and Perinatal Mortality, United States, 2003, Vol. 55, No. 6
PDF Version (590 KB) Notice of Error in the 2003 and 2004 Fetal Death Data Files and Reports
Health, United States
- Health, United States, 2008. Table 21. Infant mortality rates, fetal mortality rates, and perinatal mortality rates, by race: United States, selected years 1950–2005
PDF Version (14 MB)
Vital and Health Statistics, Series 20
- No. 31. Medical and Life-style Risk Factors Affecting Fetal Mortality,1989-90
- No. 30. Fetal Mortality by Maternal Education and Prenatal Care, 1990
MMWR on Fetal Mortality
Micro-data
- VitalStats – interactive online data and tables
- Access to downloadable datasets - Vital Statistics Online
Methods
- Instruction Manual Part 3b (1989 Revision)
PDF Version (926 KB) - Instruction Manual Part 3b Replacement (2003 Revision)
PDF Version (657 KB) - Coding Fetal Cause of Death
- Instruction Manual Part 11
PDF Version (1 MB)
Contact Us:
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Division of Vital Statistics
National Center for Health Statistics
3311 Toledo Rd
Hyattsville, MD 20782 - 1 (800) 232-4636
- cdcinfo@cdc.gov