Trends in Fetal and Perinatal Mortality in Korea (2009-2014): Comparison with Japan and the United States

How Does Economic Inequality Affect Infanticide Rates? An Analysis of 15 Years of Death Records and Representative Economic Data

Background: Is there a relationship between economic inequality and infanticide rates? Few studies have examined the socioeconomic factors that trigger infanticide. This study aims to statistically analyze the effect of these factors on infanticide rates. Methods: This study used infant death records in South Korea from 2003 to 2017 to assess the impact of unemployment rates and various statistical indicators (e.g., GDP and income inequality index) on the rate of infanticide. A generalized additive model and a quasi-Poisson regression were used for statistical analyses. Results: A time-trend analysis shows that the infanticide rate tended to grow despite a decreasing trend in the quarterly infant mortality rate. A 1% increase in the unemployment rate is associated with a significant rise in the relative risk of infanticide after a lag of two quarters. Relative risks increased significantly three and four quarters after a 0.1 rise in the p80/p20 ratio (income inequality index). Conclusions: Policymakers should pay attention to socioeconomic factors while formulating healthcare regulations to protect potential infanticide victims, including vulnerable infants and their parents.

Gestational age-specific risk of stillbirth during term pregnancy according to maternal age

PURPOSE

To investigate the gestational age-specific risk of stillbirth according to the maternal age group particularly regarding stillbirth risk at the end of pregnancy.

METHODS

This study was a retrospective national cohort study of all singleton term pregnancy using the Korean Vital Statistics database (n = 2,798,542). We evaluated the risk of stillbirth by gestational week in mothers aged 20-49 years according to maternal age group and neonatal birth weight.

RESULTS

The risk of stillbirth in women aged 41 years and older was significantly higher than in women aged 20-29 years between 37 and 40 weeks' gestation. The stillbirth rate per 10,000 ongoing pregnancy in women aged 37-38 years at 39 weeks' gestation (4.22, 95% confidence intervals [CI] 3.01-5.90) and that in women aged 39-40 years at 40 weeks' gestation (8.15, 95% CI 4.83-13.77) were significantly higher in comparison with in those aged 20-29 years at 39 weeks' gestation (1.95, 95% CI 1.64-2.33) and at 40 weeks' gestation (2.59, 95% CI 2.1-3,18). The risk of stillbirth showed an increasing pattern at 40 gestational weeks, in women aged 39 years and older.

CONCLUSIONS

Delivery plan need to be set up and supported to decrease rates of stillbirth at term in women aged 35 years and older with other risk factors and in women aged 37 years and older regardless of risk factors, and especially in women older than 40 years of age.