Live birth is the complete expulsion or extraction from its mother of a product of conception, irrespective of the duration of the pregnancy which, after such separation, breathes or shows any other evidence of life, such as beating of the heart, pulsation of the umbilical cord, or definite movement of voluntary muscles, whether or not the umbilical cord has been cut or the placenta is attached; each product of such a birth is considered liveborn (WHO, 1992 definition).

Stillbirth is a fetal death prior to the complete expulsion or extraction from its mother of a product of conception of 20 or more completed weeks of gestation or of 400 g or more birthweight; the death is indicated by the fact that after such separation the fetus does not breathe or show any other evidence of life, such as beating of the heart, pulsation of the umbilical cord, or definite movement of voluntary muscles. (This is the same as the WHO definition of fetal death, except that there are no limits of gestational age or birthweight for the WHO definition.)