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MAIN CONDITION IN FETUS/INFANT

Disorders related to length of gestation and fetal growth (P05-P08) accounted for 31% (773) of total 2008 perinatal deaths, compared to 34% (867) in 2007. Conversely, Congenital malformations, deformations and chromosomal abnormalities (Q00-Q99) accounted for 16% (394) in 2008, compared to 17% (421) in 2007. Respiratory and cardiovascular disorders specific to the perinatal period (P20-P29) accounted for 6.5% (163) of perinatal deaths in 2008, compared to 8.8% (222) in 2007; with 2008 data the lowest point in the ten year period for this cause.

In 2008, over a third (907) of all perinatal deaths were assigned a non-specific cause of death in the fetus/infant (Fetal death of unspecified cause (P95), Other conditions originating in the perinatal period (P96) and Other ill-defined causes of mortality (R99)). Most of these were fetal deaths, representing 863 of the 907 perinatal deaths assigned a non-specific cause of death. While 52% of all fetal deaths registered in 2008 reported no specific cause, the corresponding figure for neonatal deaths was 5.2%.

Perinatal deaths(a), by main condition in the fetus/infant and sex(b) - Selected years(c)(d)(e)(f)
	1999			2007			2008
Causes of death	Males(b)	Females	Persons	Males(b)	Females	Persons	Males(b)	Females	Persons
Total Deaths	1 446	1 154	2 600	1 335	1 197	2 532	1 364	1 137	2 501
CHAPTER XVI Certain conditions originating in the perinatal period (P00-P96)	1 039	828	1 867	1 087	947	2 034	1 112	932	2 044
Disorders related to length of gestation and fetal growth (P05-P08)	214	206	420	461	406	867	431	342	773
Birth trauma (P10-P15)	1	3	2	3	-	4	4	4	5
Respiratory and cardiovascular disorders specific to the perinatal period (P20-P29)	294	236	530	133	89	222	89	74	163
Infections specific to the perinatal period (P35-P39)	34	35	69	14	13	27	27	24	51
Haemorrhagic and haematological disorders of fetus and newborn (P50-P61)	65	42	107	26	21	47	47	32	79
Transitory endocrine and metabolic disorders specific to fetus and newborn (P70-P74)	11	8	19	5	2	7	3	-	1
Digestive system disorders of fetus and newborn (P75-P78)	9	6	15	19	6	25	15	9	24
Conditions involving the integument and temperature regulation of fetus and newborn (P80-P83)	20	15	35	8	10	18	7	12	19
Other disorders originating in the perinatal period (P90-P96)	389	279	668	400	389	789	492	437	929
Fetal death of unspecified cause (P95)	154	106	260	373	357	730	437	404	841
Other conditions originating in the perinatal period (P96)	212	166	378	6	5	11	41	19	60
CHAPTER XVII Congenital malformations, deformations and chromosomal abnormalities (Q00-Q99)	380	290	670	208	213	421	213	181	394
Congenital malformations of the nervous system (Q00-Q07)	76	60	136	51	46	97	48	38	86
Congenital malformations of eye, ear, face and neck (Q10-Q18)	-	3	4	3	-	4	-	-	-
Congenital malformations of the circulatory system (Q20-Q28)	85	48	133	49	43	92	55	43	98
Congenital malformations of the respiratory system (Q30-Q34)	26	18	44	6	5	11	6	5	11
Cleft lip and cleft palate (Q35-Q37)	-	4	3	4	1	4	2	-	2
Other congenital malformations of the digestive system (Q38-Q45)	5	3	8	2	2	2	2	2	1
Congenital malformations of genital organs (Q50-Q56)	-	-	-	4	-	1	-	-	-
Congenital malformations of the urinary system (Q60-Q64)	31	13	44	20	11	31	13	7	20
Congenital malformations and deformations of the musculoskeletal system (Q65-Q79)	44	41	85	19	25	44	21	15	36
Other congenital malformations (Q80-Q89)	25	17	42	24	28	52	39	27	66
Other congenital malformations, not elsewhere classified (Q89)	19	14	33	22	28	50	35	25	60
CHAPTER XVIII Symptoms, signs and abnormal clinical and laboratory findings, not elsewhere classified (R00-R99)	7	9	16	23	21	44	15	6	21
Sudden infant death syndrome (R95)	6	8	14	7	3	10	10	5	15
Other ill-defined and unspecified causes of mortality (R99)	-	-	-	9	12	21	5	1	6
Other conditions	20	27	47	17	16	33	24	18	42
- nil or rounded to zero (including null cells)
(a) Perinatal deaths are all fetal deaths (at least 20 weeks gestation or at least 400 grams birth weight) plus all neonatal deaths. See Glossary for further information.
(b) Males deaths include those perinatal deaths of sex indeterminate.
(c) Data cells with small values have been randomly assigned to protect the confidentiality of individuals. As a result, some totals will not equal the sum of their components. It is important to note that cells with a zero value have not been affected by confidentialisation.
(d) Causes of death data for 2007 have been revised and are subject to further revisions. See Technical Note 2: Revisions Process for further information.
(e) 2008 data have been subject to a process improvement which has increased the quality of these data. See Technical Note 1: Perinatal Deaths Process Improvement for further information.
(f) Causes of death data for 2008 are preliminary and subject to a revisions process. See Technical Note 2: Revisions Process for further information.