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Infant and Fetal Death Rates by Leading Causes of Death, New Jersey, 2019-2021

Indicator Report Data View Options

Cause of DeathBacterial SepsisCongenital AnomaliesMaternal Complications of PregnancyShort Gestation/LBWSIDSFetal Death of Unspecified CauseMaternal Complications Unrelated to PregnancyPlacenta, Cord, and Membrane Complications0.00.51.01.52.02.5Rate per 1,000 Live Births (Infant Death)/Live Brths + Fetal Dths of 20+ Wks Gestation (Fetal Death)Infant and Fetal Death Rates by Leading Causes of Death, New Jersey, 2019-2021Infant DeathFetal Death
Perinatal Death TypeCause of DeathRate per 1,000 Live Births (Infant Death)/Live Brths + Fetal Dths of 20+ Wks Gestation (Fetal Death)95% Confidence Interval, Lower Limit95% Confidence Interval, Upper LimitCount

Infant Death

 1Infant DeathBacterial Sepsis20.10.10.2
 1Infant DeathCongenital Anomalies50.70.60.8
 1Infant DeathMaternal Complications of Pregnancy150.20.10.2
 1Infant DeathShort Gestation/LBW220.50.40.6
 1Infant DeathSIDS230.30.30.4

Fetal Death

 2Fetal DeathCongenital Anomalies50.60.60.7
 2Fetal DeathFetal Death of Unspecified Cause72.11.92.3
 2Fetal DeathMaternal Complications of Pregnancy150.80.70.9
 2Fetal DeathMaternal Complications Unrelated to Pregnancy160.40.30.5
 2Fetal DeathPlacenta, Cord, and Membrane Complications181.91.72.0

Why Is This Important?

Fetal mortality - the intrauterine death of a fetus at any gestational age - is a major but often overlooked public health issue. Much of the public concern surrounding reproductive loss has focused on infant mortality, due in part to a lesser knowledge of the incidence, etiology, and prevention strategies for fetal mortality.1

Definition

An infant death is the death of a live-born infant within the first year of life. The infant death rate is the number of deaths of live-born infants under 1 year of age per 1,000 live births.

A fetal death is what is commonly called a stillbirth. The technical definition is "a death prior to the complete expulsion or extraction from its mother of a product of conception; the fetus shows no signs of life such as breathing or beating of the heart, pulsation of the umbilical cord, or definite movement of voluntary muscles." The fetal death rate is the number of fetal deaths of 20 or more weeks gestation per 1,000 live births plus fetal deaths of 20 or more weeks gestation.

Data Notes

These are the 5 leading causes of infant death and the 5 leading causes of fetal death. Two causes appear in both Top 5 lists. Infant deaths cannot be due to fetal death of unspecified cause. Fetal deaths cannot be due to SIDS.

Data Sources

How the Measure is Calculated

  • Numerator:

    Infant Death: Number of infant deaths (death < 1 year of age)

    Fetal Death: Number of fetal deaths of 20 or more weeks gestation

  • Denominator:

    Infant Death: Number of live births

    Fetal Death: Number of live births plus fetal deaths of 20 or more weeks gestation

Data Issues

Only fetal deaths from the latter half of pregnancy (20 or more weeks gestation) are required to be reported to the NJDOH. Fetal deaths early in pregnancy can occur before a mother even knows she's pregnant, therefore a full count is impossible and each states' reporting requirements are based on a minimum gestational age and/or minimum weight.1

Related Health Status Outcomes Indicators:

Health Topic Pages Related to: Infant and Fetal Death Comparison

Indicator Data Last Updated On 11/16/2023, Published on 06/12/2024
Center for Health Statistics, New Jersey Department of Health, PO Box 360, Trenton, NJ 08625-0360, e-mail: chs@doh.nj.gov (https://www.nj.gov/health/chs)