We analyzed @entity5617 and linked @entity1 birth-death certificate data for 1995-1998 to evaluate perinatal @entity204 (late @entity5617 [> or = 28 weeks' gestation] and early neonatal @entity204 [< or = 7 days of life]) by race, Hispanic ethnicity, state of residence, and selected demographic characteristics. We also compared components of perinatal mortality, late @entity5617 , and early neonatal @entity204 , by birthweight, gestational age, and selected maternal medical conditions during pregnancy. From 1995 through 1998, there were 221,767 @entity5617 at > or = 20 weeks' gestation and @entity1 @entity204 at less than 1 year. Of these, 113,421 (51%) were perinatal @entity204 ; late @entity5617 accounted for 47% of perinatal @entity204 . The total perinatal mortality rate declined 5.3%, from 7.5 to 7.1 @entity307 ,000 live births plus late @entity5617 . Blacks experienced higher perinatal mortality rates than whites (rate ratio = 2.1). Among perinatal @entity204 > or = 28 weeks' gestation, the ratio of fetal to neonatal @entity204 was 3.4 among blacks and 2.4 among whites. State-specific rates ranged from 5.2 to 13.1 @entity307 ,000 live births plus late @entity5617 . Although late @entity5617 are not included in routine statistics of pregnancy outcomes, these @entity204 represent a large proportion of adverse pregnancy outcomes. Surveillance of perinatal mortality provides a more complete picture of the health of @entity1 , fetuses, and newborns. Improving the quality of surveillance data regarding @entity5617 is essential for more effective use of these data. This information can be used to prevent excess perinatal @entity204 and reduce disparities in pregnancy outcomes among high-risk subgroups identified by individual and population characteristics.

Contribution of late XXXX to US perinatal mortality rates, 1995-1998.

@entity1 :: ('9606', 'Species') :: ['women', 'infant'] @entity204 :: ('MESH:D003643', 'Disease') :: ['deaths'] @entity5617 :: ('MESH:D005313', 'Disease') :: ['US fetal death', 'fetal deaths'] @entity307 :: ('5187', 'Gene') :: ['per 1']
@entity5617 :: (MESH:D005313,Disease) :: ['fetal deaths']
