Stillbirth (fetal death)

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 grams 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.

Perinatal

Terminations of pregnancy performed at gestational ages of 20 or more weeks should be included in perinatal collections and should be recorded either as stillbirths or, in the unlikely event of showing evidence of life, as live births.

Fetus papyraceous and fetus compressus are products of conception recognisable as a deceased fetus. These fetal deaths are likely to have occurred before 20 weeks gestation but should be included as stillbirths in perinatal collections if they are recognisable as a fetus and have been expelled or extracted with other products of conception at 20 or more weeks gestational age.

National Perinatal Data Development Committee

See also Live birth Health, Standard 03/12/2020

Supersedes Stillbirth (fetal death) Health, Superseded 03/12/2020, Tasmanian Health, Endorsed 20/12/2016, Indigenous, Endorsed 22/10/2018, ACT Health, Final 14/08/2018

Birth status code N Health, Standard 03/12/2020

Birthweight Health, Standard 03/12/2020

Female—parity Health, Standard 03/12/2020

Female—parity, total pregnancies N[N] Health, Standard 03/12/2020

Perinatal NBEDS 2021–22 Health, Standard 03/12/2020

Perinatal NMDS 2021–22 Health, Standard 03/12/2020

Pregnancy—birth plurality, code N Health, Standard 03/12/2020

Product of birth Health, Standard 03/12/2020

Product of birth—birthweight Health, Standard 03/12/2020

Product of birth—birthweight, total grams N[NNN] Health, Standard 03/12/2020

Product of birth—head circumference, total centimetres NN[N].N Health, Standard 03/12/2020