Health

Stillbirth rate declines

NEWS IN BRIEF — Posted March 12, 2007

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The total number of stillbirths occurring between 1990 and 2003 decreased from 7.49 per thousand to 6.23 per thousand, according to "Fetal and Perinatal Mortality, United States, 2003," published last month by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The rate of stillbirths occurring after 28 weeks of gestation declined 29% during this time, although the rate of those occurring between weeks 20 and 27 was unchanged. Stillbirth rates were higher among African-Americans, teens, women older than 35, unwed mothers and those delivering multiples.

"While we can see that progress has been made in preventing fetal mortality, it is also clear that substantial disparities remain," said Marian MacDorman, PhD, the report's lead author and a CDC epidemiologist.

In a related development, a study in the March 15 Journal of Infectious Diseases suggested that vaccine giving protection against cytomegalovirus could cut the chance of stillbirth. This preclinical study randomized guinea pigs to receive CMV or influenza vaccine. Those who received the CMV shot had a 13% stillbirth rate, while those who did not had a rate of 57%.

"An effective CMV vaccine for women of childbearing age could greatly reduce the disability caused by the virus," said Duane Alexander, MD, director of the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, which funded the study.

Note: This item originally appeared at http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2007/03/12/hlbf0312.htm.

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