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URDANETA CITY UNIVERSITY San Vicente West, Urdaneta City, Pangasinan 2428

urdanetacityuniversity@yahoo.com(0!" !#8$#%2 & (0!" !#8$24! 'oc. %%0

Schoo' o )id*iery)%0% +-)/

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DEFINITIONS. The uniform use of standard definitions is encouraged by the World Health Organization as

well as the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists

(!!". #uch uniformity allows com$arison of data not only between states or regions of the country% but also between countries.

&t is recommended that 'nited #tates statistics include all fetuses and neonates born weighing at least !! g%

whether ali)e or dead. &t must be clarified% howe)er% that the states are not uniform in their definition of fetal

death. *or e+am$le% , states sti$ulate that fetal deaths beginning at ! wee-s gestation should be recorded%

eight states re$ort all $roducts of conce$tion as fetal deaths% and still others use birthweights of /! g% 0!! g% or

!! g or greater to identify fetal deaths.

Definitions recommended by the NCHS and the CDC are as follows:

Perinatal period  The $eriod after birth of an infant weighing !! g or more and ending at , com$leted

days after birth. When $erinatal rates are based on gestational age% rather than birthweight% it is recommended

that the $erinatal $eriod be defined as commencing at ! wee-s.

!irth  The com$lete e+$ulsion or e+traction from the mother of a fetus% irres$ecti)e of whether the umbilical

cord has been cut or the $lacenta is attached. *etuses weighing less than !! g are usually not considered as

 births% but rather are termed abortuses for $ur$oses of )ital statistics.

!irthwei"ht  The weight of a neonate determined immediately after deli)ery or as soon thereafter as feasible.

&t should be e+$ressed to the nearest gram.

!irth rate  The number of li)e births $er 1!!! $o$ulation.

Fertility rate The number of li)e births $er 1!!! females aged 1 through 00 years.

#i$e birth  The term used to record a birth whene)er the newborn at or sometime after birth breathes

s$ontaneously% or shows any other sign of life such as a heartbeat or definite s$ontaneous mo)ement of

)oluntary muscles. Heartbeats are to be distinguished from transient cardiac contractions% and res$irations are to

 be distinguished from fleeting res$iratory efforts or gas$s.

Stillbirth or fetal death  The absence of signs of life at or after birth.

Neonatal death  2arly neonatal death refers to death of a li)eborn neonate during the first 3 days after birth.

4ate neonatal death refers to death after 3 days but before 5 days.

Stillbirth rate or fetal death rate  The number of stillborn neonates $er 1!!! neonates born% including li)e

 births and stillbirths.

Neonatal mortality rate The number of neonatal deaths $er 1!!! li)e births.

Perinatal mortality rate  The number of stillbirths $lus neonatal deaths $er 1!!! total births.

Infant death

 All deaths of li)eborn infants from birth through 1 months of age.

Infant mortality rate  The number of infant deaths $er 1!!! li)e births.

Dr. Christopher R. Bañez % 6 P a g e

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#ow%birthwei"ht  A newborn whose weight is less than !! g.

&ery%low%birthwei"ht . A newborn whose weight is less than 1!! g.

E'tremely%low%birthwei"ht  A newborn whose weight is less than 1!!! g.

Term neonate  A neonate born anytime after /3 com$leted wee-s of gestation and u$ until 0 com$leted

wee-s of gestation (6! to 50 days".

Preterm neonate  A neonate born before /3 com$leted wee-s (the 5th day".

Postterm neonate  A neonate born anytime after com$letion of the 0nd wee-% beginning with day 5.

(bort)s  A fetus or embryo remo)ed or e+$elled from the uterus during the first half of gestation ! wee-s

or less and weighing less than !! g.

Ind)ced termination of pre"nancy  The $ur$oseful interru$tion of an intrauterine $regnancy with the

intention other than to $roduce a li)eborn neonate% and which does not result in a li)e birth. This definition

e+cludes retention of $roducts of conce$tion following fetal death.

Direct maternal death  The death of the mother resulting from obstetrical com$lications of $regnancy% labor%or the $uer$erium% and from inter)entions% omissions% incorrect treatment% or a chain of e)ents resulting from

any of these factors. An e+am$le is maternal death from e+sanguination after uterine ru$ture.

Indirect maternal death  A maternal death not directly due to an obstetrical cause% but resulting from

 $re)iously e+isting disease% or a disease that de)elo$ed during $regnancy% labor% or the $uer$erium% but which

was aggra)ated by maternal $hysiological ada$tation to $regnancy. An e+am$le is maternal death from

com$lications of mitral )al)e stenosis.

Nonmaternal death  7eath of the mother resulting from accidental or incidental causes not related to

 $regnancy. An e+am$le is death from an automobile accident or concurrent malignancy.

*aternal mortality ratio  The number of maternal deaths that result from the re$roducti)e $rocess $er

1!!%!!! li)e births. 'sed more commonly% but less accurately% are the terms maternal mortality rate or maternal

death rate. The term ratio is more accurate because it includes in the numerator the number of deaths regardless

of $regnancy outcome for e+am$le% li)e births% stillbirths% ecto$ic $regnancies while the denominator 

includes the number of li)e births.

&n 15,3% the C7C collaborated with the 8aternal 8ortality #$ecial &nterest Grou$ of the American College of

Obstetricians and

Gynecologists% the Association of 9ital :ecords and Health #tatistics% and state and local health de$artments to

initiate the ;ational Pregnancy 8ortality #ur)eillance #ystem. Two new terms were introduced<

Pre"nancy%associated death  The death of any woman% from any cause% while $regnant or within 1 calendar

year of termination of $regnancy% regardless of the duration and the site of $regnancy.

Pre"nancy%related death  A $regnancy=associated death resulting from (1" com$lications of the $regnancy

itself% (" the chain of e)ents initiated by the $regnancy that led to death% or (/" aggra)ation of an unrelated

condition by the $hysiological or $harmacological effects of the $regnancy that subse>uently caused death.

Dr. Christopher R. Bañez 2 6 P a g e