Classification system for causes of perinatal deaths

Objective: To test the recently developed classification system for causes of stillbirths and neonatal deaths in data-rich settings (high-income and upper-middle income countries). This system combines key features of best performing HIC classification systems into a single system that reflects recent research:

• Ensuring alignment with the principles of the newly developed ICD-PM
• Reflecting expert-consensus characteristics of an effective global system
• Reflecting our analysis of systems currently in use and their alignment with the critical characteristics
• Incorporating recent findings on placental contributors to death
• Incorporating a minimum data set for perinatal deaths

Phase 1 of the evaluation (pilot testing) is now complete and four interdisciplinary country teams (Australia, UK, USA and Brazil) are in the process of testing the system. Data collection is expected to be completed by December 2025, followed by publication and widescale dissemination.

Research Team: Vicki Flenady, Ian Gallimore, Susannah Hopkins Leisher, Chrissie Astell, Guilherme de Jesús