Enhancing routine surveillance to improve stillbirth data

Measuring stillbirth and perinatal mortality rates through household surveys: a population-based analysis using an integrated approach to data quality assessment and adjustment with 157 surveys from 53 countries

“…This principle also applies to the new round of DHSs, which have included pregnancy histories instead of birth histories with a reproductive calendar as the standard survey instrument. A previous study 26 showed that the full pregnancy history might lead to an improvement in stillbirth reporting, although under-reporting of stillbirths seems to persist to varying degrees.…”

Spatial patterns of fetal mortality: scenario before and after the implementation of surveillance

“…1 Historically, fetal deaths have not been incorporated into global mortality estimates and, even with the recent efforts to include them, fetal mortality rate is still underestimated. 2 Social stigma and misclassification, such as miscarriage or early neonatal deaths, are factors that contribute to this fact. 2 Nowadays, the reduction in fetal deaths is established in the Every Newborn Action Plan of the World Health Organization, which aims to provide equitable quality healthcare for all women and newborns and targets ≤ 12 stillbirths per thousand births until 2030.…”

“…2 Social stigma and misclassification, such as miscarriage or early neonatal deaths, are factors that contribute to this fact. 2 Nowadays, the reduction in fetal deaths is established in the Every Newborn Action Plan of the World Health Organization, which aims to provide equitable quality healthcare for all women and newborns and targets ≤ 12 stillbirths per thousand births until 2030. 3 To monitor the progress of the plan, accurate data are required and may help to prepare policies and monitor fetal mortality.…”

“…3 To monitor the progress of the plan, accurate data are required and may help to prepare policies and monitor fetal mortality. 2 The plan suggests the implementation of national perinatal mortality surveillance systems that record all deaths and their causes, in addition to the identification of contextual and maternal factors that may contribute to reducing preventable deaths. 4 Countries (the United Kingdom, New Zealand, and the Netherlands) that implemented this surveillance evidenced a reduction in stillbirth mortality rate.…”