Labor-Examples: noncephalic presentation, glucocorticoids for fetal lung maturation, antibiotics during labor Delivery-Examples: unsuccessful operative vaginal delivery, trial of labor with prior cesarean delivery Newborn-Examples: assisted ventilation, surfactant therapy, congenital anomalies applied. For example, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommends that reporting include all fetuses and neonates born weighing at minimum 500 g, whether alive or dead. But, not all states follow this recommendation. Speciically, 28 states stipulate that fetal deaths beginning at 20 weeks' gestation should be recorded as such; eight states report all products of conception as fetal deaths; and still others use a minimum birthweight of 350 g, 400 g, or 500 g to deine fetal death. To further the confusion, the National Vital Statistics Reports tabulates fetal deaths from gestations that are 20 weeks or older (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2016). his is problematic because the 50th percentile for fetal weight at 20 weeks approximates 325 to 350 g-considerably less than the 500-g deinition. Indeed, a birthweight of 500 g corresponds closely with the 50th percentile for 22 weeks' gestation.
Deinitions recommended by the National Center for Health Statistics and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are as follows:
Perinatal period. The interval between the birth of a neonate born after 20 weeks' gestation and the 28 completed days after that birth. When perinatal rates are based on birthweight, rather than gestational age, it is recommended that the perinatal period be deined as commencing at the birth of a 500-g neonate.
Birth. he complete expulsion or extraction from the mother of a fetus after 20 weeks' gestation. As described above, in the absence of accurate dating criteria, fetuses weighing < 500 g are usually not considered as births but rather are termed abortuses for purposes of vital statistics.
Birthweight. The weight of a neonate determined immediately after delivery or as soon thereafter as feasible. It should be expressed to the nearest gram.
Birth rate. The number of live births per 1000 population. Fertility rate. The number of live births per 1000 females aged 15 through 44 years.
Live birth. he term used to record a birth whenever the newborn at or sometime after birth breathes spontaneously or shows any other sign of life such as a heartbeat or deinite spontaneous movement of voluntary muscles. Heartbeats are distinguished from transient cardiac contractions, and respirations are diferentiated from fleeting respiratory efforts or gasps.
Stillbirth or fetal death. The absence of signs of life at or after birth.
Early neonatal death. Death of a liveborn neonate during the irst 7 days after birth.
Late neonatal death. Death after 7 days but before 29 days.
Stillbirth rate or fetal death rate. The number of stillborn neonates per 1000 neonates born, including live births and stillbirths.
Neonatal mortality rate. The number of neonatal deaths per 1000 live births.
Perinatal mortality rate. he number of stillbirths plus neonatal deaths per 1000 total births.
Infant death. All deaths of liveborn infants from birth through 12 months of age.
Infant mortality rate. The number of infant deaths per 1000 live births.
Low birthweight. A newborn whose weight is <2500 g.
Very low birthweight. A newborn whose weight is < 1500 g.
Extremely low birthweight. A newborn whose weight is < 1000 g.