TY - JOUR
T1 - How do late terminations of pregnancy affect comparisons of stillbirth rates in Europe? Analyses of aggregated routine data from the Euro-Peristat Project
AU - Blondel, B.
AU - Cuttini, M.
AU - Hindori-Mohangoo, A. D.
AU - Gissler, M.
AU - Loghi, M.
AU - Prunet, C.
AU - Heino, A.
AU - Smith, L.
AU - van der Pal-de Bruin, K.
AU - Macfarlane, A.
AU - Zeitlin, J.
AU - Haidinger, Gerald
AU - Alexander, Sophie
AU - Pavlou, Pavlos
AU - Velebil, Petr
AU - Mortensen, Laust Hvas
AU - Sakkeus, Luule
AU - Lack, Nicholas
AU - Antsaklis, Aris
AU - Berbik, István
AU - Ólafsdóttir, Helga Sól
AU - Bonham, Sheelagh
AU - Misins, Janis
AU - Jaselioniene, Jone
AU - Wagener, Yolande
AU - Gatt, Miriam
AU - Nijhuis, Jan
AU - Klungsoyr, Kari
AU - Szamotulska, Katarzyna
AU - Barros, Henrique
AU - Horga, Mihai
AU - Cap, Jan
AU - Tul, Nataša
AU - Bolúmar, Francisco
AU - Gottvall, Karin
AU - Berrut, Sylvie
AU - the Euro-Peristat Scientific Committee
AU - Billy, Audrey
AU - Lecomte, Aline
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2017 Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists
PY - 2018/1
Y1 - 2018/1
N2 - Objective: To describe how terminations of pregnancy at gestational ages at or above the limit for stillbirth registration are recorded in routine statistics and to assess their impact on comparability of stillbirth rates in Europe. Design: Analysis of aggregated data from the Euro-Peristat project. Setting: Twenty-nine European countries. Population: Births and late terminations in 2010. Methods: Assessment of terminations as a proportion of stillbirths and derivation of stillbirth rates including and excluding terminations. Main outcome measures: Stillbirth rates overall and excluding terminations. Results: In 23 countries, it is possible to assess the contribution of terminations to stillbirth rates either because terminations are rare occurrences or because they can be distinguished from spontaneous stillbirths. Where terminations were reported, they accounted for less than 1.5% of stillbirths at 22+ weeks in Denmark, between 13 and 22% in Germany, Italy, Hungary, Finland and Switzerland, and 39% in France. Proportions were much lower at 24+ weeks, with the exception of Switzerland (7.4%) and France (39.2%). Conclusions: Terminations represent a substantial proportion of stillbirths at 22+ weeks of gestation in some countries. Countries where terminations occur at 22+ weeks should publish rates with and without terminations in order to improve international comparisons and the policy relevance of stillbirth statistics. Tweetable abstract: For valid comparisons of stillbirth rates, data about late terminations of pregnancy are needed.
AB - Objective: To describe how terminations of pregnancy at gestational ages at or above the limit for stillbirth registration are recorded in routine statistics and to assess their impact on comparability of stillbirth rates in Europe. Design: Analysis of aggregated data from the Euro-Peristat project. Setting: Twenty-nine European countries. Population: Births and late terminations in 2010. Methods: Assessment of terminations as a proportion of stillbirths and derivation of stillbirth rates including and excluding terminations. Main outcome measures: Stillbirth rates overall and excluding terminations. Results: In 23 countries, it is possible to assess the contribution of terminations to stillbirth rates either because terminations are rare occurrences or because they can be distinguished from spontaneous stillbirths. Where terminations were reported, they accounted for less than 1.5% of stillbirths at 22+ weeks in Denmark, between 13 and 22% in Germany, Italy, Hungary, Finland and Switzerland, and 39% in France. Proportions were much lower at 24+ weeks, with the exception of Switzerland (7.4%) and France (39.2%). Conclusions: Terminations represent a substantial proportion of stillbirths at 22+ weeks of gestation in some countries. Countries where terminations occur at 22+ weeks should publish rates with and without terminations in order to improve international comparisons and the policy relevance of stillbirth statistics. Tweetable abstract: For valid comparisons of stillbirth rates, data about late terminations of pregnancy are needed.
KW - Euro-Peristat
KW - international comparisons
KW - pregnancy terminations
KW - registration
KW - stillbirth
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85024500669&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1111/1471-0528.14767
DO - 10.1111/1471-0528.14767
M3 - Article
C2 - 28557289
AN - SCOPUS:85024500669
SN - 1470-0328
VL - 125
SP - 226
EP - 234
JO - BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology
JF - BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology
IS - 2
ER -