(De)coding perinatal deaths
Applying the International Classification of Diseases to perinatal mortality to a perinatal e-registry from 16 hospitals in Benin, Malawi, Tanzania, and Uganda
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 24021124 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Maria Del Rosario Alsina (0009-0006-2862-5207, Karolinska Institutet, corresponding author), Aliki Christou (0000-0001-9525-8255, Research Institute for Tropical Medicine), Phillip Wanduru (0000-0001-5934-2505, Makerere University), Bianca Kandeya (0000-0002-8829-4618, University of Health Science), Muzdalifat Abeid (0000-0001-6196-168X, Aga Khan University), Effie Chipeta (0000-0002-7925-3443, University of Health Science), Hussein Kidanto (0000-0001-9167-8068, Aga Khan University), Andrea Pembe (0000-0002-8090-3298, Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences), Jean-Paul Dossou (0000-0003-1681-2604, Centre de recherche en reproduction humaine et en démographie), Peter Waiswa (0000-0001-8221-902X, Makerere University), Lenka Beňová (0000-0001-8595-365X, Research Institute for Tropical Medicine), Claudia Hanson (0000-0001-8066-7873, Karolinska Institutet) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Volume | 19 |
| Issue | 1 |
| Pages | 2709890-2709890 |
| Publication date | 2026-08-04 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Global Health Action (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1654-9716 • E-ISSN: 1654-9880 |
| Publisher | Taylor & Francis (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1080/16549716.2026.2709890 |
| PMID | 42549782 |
| OpenAlex | W7172441820 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 40 |
BACKGROUND: To reduce perinatal deaths, identification of their causes is paramount. 'The WHO application of ICD-10 to deaths during the perinatal period' (ICD-PM) was developed to improve the quality of perinatal death data. OBJECTIVES: To determine stillbirth and very early neonatal death rates across 16 hospitals in Benin, Malawi, Tanzania, and Uganda, examine causes of death and associated maternal conditions applying the ICD-PM, and assess how a clinical perinatal e-registry performed when applying the ICD-PM. METHODS: We used cross-sectional data collected between 1st July 2021 and 29th February 2024 of babies weighing ≥1000 g or ≥28 weeks of gestational age, born to women aged 13-50 years in the participating hospitals. RESULTS: After analyzing 143,105 births, the stillbirth rate was 36.9 per 1,000 births and very early neonatal death rate was 7.7 per 1,000 live births. Nine in ten antepartum stillbirths could not be assigned a cause of death. Among intrapartum stillbirths, the most common cause of death was 'disorders of fetal growth' and for very early neonatal death it was 'complications of intrapartum events'. The e-registry provided information to report on 17 out of the 24 ICD-PM categories. CONCLUSIONS: Collecting high-quality clinical data through an e-registry allowed the identification of a cause of death for most intrapartum stillbirths and very early neonatal deaths. A specifically designed clinical questionnaire and simple diagnostic procedures could enable the application of the ICD-PM in settings with limited diagnostic resources and high mortality rates.
Cause of death · Fetal death · Gestational age · Infant mortality · Mortality rate · Neonatal death · Perinatal mortality · Pregnancy · Global Maternal and Child Health · Maternal and Neonatal Healthcare · Medical Coding and Health Information
National, regional, and global levels and trends in neonatal mortality between 1990 and 2017, with scenario-based projections to 2030
Data for whom? Experiences and perceptions of a perinatal eRegistry in two hospitals in Mtwara region, Tanzania
Feasibility, usability and acceptability of a novel digital hybrid-system for reporting of routine maternal health information in Southern Tanzania
The global use of the International Classification of Diseases to Perinatal Mortality (ICD-PM)
What do we know about maternal and perinatal mortality and morbidity audits in sub-Saharan Africa? A scoping literature review
| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |