The State of the Nation report is a concise overview of perinatal deaths in the UK focusing on five key areas: perinatal mortality rates in the UK; mortality rates for trusts and health boards; mortality rates by gestational age (weeks of pregnancy completed before birth); mortality rates by ethnicity and socio-economic deprivation; and a description of the causes of perinatal deaths in the UK.
This report focuses on births from 24 completed weeks of pregnancy, but includes babies born at 22 and 23 completed weeks of pregnancy where rates are presented by gestational age. The figures presented in this report do not include terminations of pregnancy.
Key findings:
- Extended perinatal mortality rates continued to decrease in 2023, driven by a reduction in stillbirth rates. The extended perinatal mortality rate decreased to 4.84 deaths per 1,000 total births;
- The stillbirth rate decreased from 3.35 per 1,000 total births in 2022 to 3.22 per 1,000 total births in 2023. The neonatal mortality rate decreased from 1.69 per 1,000 live births in 2022 to 1.63 per 1,000 live births in 2023;
- Wide variation in neonatal mortality rates remained in 2023, with 42% of trusts and health boards having rates that fall within 5% of the average for organisations that provide similar types of care;
- Late fetal loss, stillbirth and neonatal mortality rates decreased in almost all gestational age groups between 2022 and 2023, with the largest reduction seen in babies born at full term (between 37 and 41 weeks’ gestation). However, neonatal mortality increased for babies born between 24 and 31 completed weeks’ gestational age. Babies born at 22 and 23 weeks accounted for an increasing proportion (25%) of all neonatal deaths. Preterm births remained a significant factor with 76% of stillbirths and 75% of neonatal deaths occurring in babies born before 37 weeks.
Read the full story on the Nuffield Department of Population Health website.