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Question 702
Statistics → Epidemiology
Classification
Question
SSBAQuestion Header
Perinatal mortality
Question Stem
Which combination is used to define the perinatal mortality rate?
Options
A
Stillbirths plus deaths during the first week of life
B
Stillbirths plus deaths during the first 28 days of life
C
Deaths during the first week plus deaths during the first year of life
D
Neonatal deaths plus maternal deaths
E
Stillbirths alone
Explanation
The perinatal mortality rate combines stillbirths with deaths occurring during the first week of life and is expressed per 1,000 total deliveries. This differs from neonatal mortality, which concerns deaths within 28 days of live birth, and infant mortality, which concerns deaths during the first year of life.
Option Validity
B) deaths throughout the first 28 days form the neonatal period, not the early neonatal component of perinatal mortality.
C) deaths throughout the first year relate to infant mortality.
D) maternal deaths are not part of the perinatal mortality rate.
E) stillbirths alone constitute a separate mortality measure.
Further Reading
Review the definitions of perinatal, neonatal and infant mortality.