Changes in outcomes among live births were seen during 2006-2012. For example,the percentage of births delivered at 39 weeks of gestation or more rose (1) and preterm birth and infant mortality rates declined (1-3). Limited recent data, however, or have been available on fetal mortality. This information is fundamental for a more total understanding of pregnancy health in the United States. This report focuses on fetal deaths (spontaneous intrauterine deaths) at 20 weeks of gestation or more,sometimes referred to as stillbirths, using recently released national data. Trends are examined for fetal mortality for 2000-2012, and focusing on the period 2006-2012,and for perinatal mortality by race and Hispanic origin for 2006-2011 (the latest year available) and by state for combined years 2005-2006 and 2010-2011.
Source: cdc.gov