Trends of stillbirth, early neonatal and perinatal mortality rates and sociodemographic differentials of perinatal mortality rates in 17 low- and middle-income countries: A modeling study

A recent study has examined the trends of stillbirth, early neonatal, and perinatal mortality rates in 17 low- and middle-income countries, uncovering significant socioeconomic disparities in these outcomes. The research, conducted by Mohamed M. Ali, Luca Cegolon, and Saverio Bellizzi, utilized statistical adjustments to enhance the reliability of estimates derived from surveys, which often suffer from underreporting and misclassification of stillbirths and early neonatal deaths.

The study analyzed 93 Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) spanning from 1990 to 2023, encompassing 1,019,253 pregnancies reported by 733,181 women. By employing advanced statistical techniques, the researchers were able to more accurately estimate age-specific risks of stillbirth and early neonatal death. These estimates were then used to assess trends over time and explore associations with various maternal and household characteristics.

The results revealed that, despite general declines in stillbirth, early neonatal, and perinatal mortality rates across the examined countries, progress has been uneven. Pooled annual declines ranged from −0.60 deaths per 1,000 births for stillbirths to −1.08 for perinatal mortality. Urban residence, higher maternal education, wealthier households, and higher national Human Development Index levels were all associated with lower perinatal mortality rates.

Conversely, maternal age of 30 years or older was linked to a higher risk of perinatal mortality. These findings underscore the importance of strengthening maternal and newborn healthcare services and improving data collection systems to accelerate progress towards global targets for reducing perinatal mortality rates.