Perinatal deaths in singleton pregnancy in Hong Kong
Keywords:
Fetal death, Perinatal death, Perinatal mortality, StillbirthAbstract
In Hong Kong, the perinatal death rate remains low, but the stillbirth rate has fluctuated over the past 12 years. Between 2000 and 2019, the leading causes of perinatal death were fetal growth restriction, chorioamnionitis, congenital malformations and genetic abnormalities, placental abruption, and preeclampsia. However, 43.5% of fetal growth restriction cases were not diagnosed during routine antenatal care, and about one-third of all singleton stillbirths were unexplained. The common causes of early neonatal death were congenital or genetic abnormalities, prematurity, sepsis, and hypoxic-ischaemic encephalopathy. The World Health Organization and the United Nations Children’s Fund have called for efforts to end preventable newborn deaths and stillbirths by 2030. This perspective aimed to review the current trend, leading causes, and preventive measures of perinatal death in Hong Kong.
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