J. Langhoffroos et al., POTENTIALLY AVOIDABLE PERINATAL DEATHS IN DENMARK, SWEDEN AND LITHUANIA AS CLASSIFIED BY THE NORDIC-BALTIC CLASSIFICATION, British journal of obstetrics and gynaecology, 105(11), 1998, pp. 1189-1194
Objectives To analyse which subgroups of perinatal deaths contribute m
ost to the perinatal mortality rate in Lithuania compared with Denmark
/Sweden. Design Comparison of all perinatal deaths in Denmark/Sweden 1
991 and Lithuania 1993-1994 by the common Nordic-Baltic perinatal deat
h classification, based on information from the medical records. Resul
ts The doubled perinatal mortality in Lithuania compared with Denmark/
Sweden is mainly explained by a threefold increase of intrapartum and
two- to fivefold increase in neonatal deaths of nonmalformed infants.
The higher rate of malformed infants is partly explained by a four tim
es higher mortality from neural tube defects. Conclusions The use of a
common perinatal death classification has identified categories mainl
y responsible for the higher rate of perinatal mortality, but further
investigation of potentially avoidable factors requires further study.