Causes of Perinatal Mortality in the US Collaborative Perinatal Project

Abstract

The underlying causes of 80% of perinatal deaths were identified in a study of 53,518 pregnancies in the United States: 17% of the deaths were due to amniotic fluid infections, 11% to abruptio placentae, 10% to premature rupture of the membranes, 9% to congenital anomalies, 6% to large placental infarcts, and the rest to more than 20 other specific disorders. (JAMA238:228-229, 1977)