Return to Table of Contents Go to Map
Fetal Death Rate
A fetal death (stillbirth) is defined as a death which occurs prior to the
complete expulsion or extraction from its mother of a product of conception,
with 20 weeks or more gestation and/or weighing 350 grams or more; the death
is indicated by the fact that after such expulsion or extraction the fetus
does not breathe or show any other evidence of life, such as beating of the
heart, pulsation of the umbilical cord or definite movement of voluntary
muscles.
The Fetal Death Rate is calculated by dividing the number of fetal deaths in a
given year by the total number of live births plus fetal deaths. In 1996,
there were 293 reported fetal deaths in Arkansas and 36,356 live births.
Thus, the Fetal Death Rate = (293 / (36,356 + 293)) X 1,000 = 8.0 fetal deaths
per 1,000 live births plus fetal deaths. In 1995, the national fetal death
rate was 7.0 fetal deaths per 1,000 births plus fetal deaths. It should be
noted that the federal definition of a fetal death makes no reference to the
weight of the fetus. However, these subtle differences have minimal impact on
the rates.
An examination of the map reveals that those counties with high fetal death
rates are scattered throughout the state, although there appears to be one
small cluster of three counties in ADH Health Management Area 7 in the
southeast corner of the state. It should be noted that the individual
counties with the highest and lowest fetal death rates are counties with very
small numbers of events. It is inappropriate to attach any significance to
rates calculated on such small numbers.
The Health Management Areas with the highest five-year average fetal death
rates are Area 7 with a rate of 9.9 and Area 6 with 9.2. Area 1 had the
lowest average rate at 6.2, followed by Area 5 at 6.4, Area 11 at 6.6, and
Area 3 at 6.7.
As with infant mortality, the fetal death rates differ by race. The five-year
average fetal death rate for Whites was 6.6, while for Blacks it was 12.1.
The year-to-year fluctuations in Arkansas' fetal death rates during the period
from 1992-1996 closely parallel those of neonatal mortality. As with neonatal
mortality, there has been a slight increase in the fetal death rate between
1994 and 1996.
Return to Table of Contents Go to Map