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Fetal Death Rate                                                         
                                                                                                    
                                                                                                    
                                                                                                    
A fetal death (stillbirth) is defined as a death that 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 1999, there were 254 reported fetal          
deaths in Arkansas and 36,672 live births.  Thus, the Fetal Death Rate = (254 / (36,672 +           
254)) X 1,000 = 6.9 fetal deaths per 1,000 live births plus fetal deaths. This rate is higher       
than the 1998 rate of 6.3.  The national fetal death rate has continually declined from 8.0         
in 1994 to 7.6 in 1995 to 7.2 in 1997.  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 nine counties with highest fetal death rates           
are found scattered throughout 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 Southeast Public Health Region had the highest five-year average fetal death rates.  The        
Northwest region had the lowest average rate of 6.5.                                                
                                                                                                    
As with infant mortality, the fetal death rates differ by race.  The five-year average fetal        
death rate for Whites was 6.1, while for Blacks it was 11.4.                                        
                                                                                                    
The Arkansas fetal death rate has been on the decline for the last three years, dropping            
from 8.0 in 1996 to 7.7 in 1997, significantly to 6.3 in 1998, and rising, though not               
significantly, to 6.9 in 1999.                                                                      
 
 
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