Stillbirth risk with social class and deprivation: no evidence for increasing inequality

The objective of this study was to determine whether inequality in stillbir th risk between social strata has changed over time. Subjects were all 288, 869 births in Cumbria, northwest England, 1950-1993 and all 8,039,269 birth s in England and Wales, 1981-1992. Social class of Cumbrian babies was asce rtained from birth registrations. Community deprivation scores were calcula ted from census data for (i) enumeration districts in Cumbria and (ii) coun ty districts in England and Wales. The relative index of inequality was use d to measure inequality of stillbirth risk between social strata. Results i ndicate inequality in stillbirth risk in Cumbria has fallen significantly s ince 1966 (P less than or equal to 0.02) and was not evident in more recent time periods. In England and Wales, there was significant inequality in st illbirth risk in all time periods and no evidence that this has changed ove r time. Inequality in stillbirth risk has not increased and in some areas h as attenuated in recent years. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Inc. All rights re served.