Complete Health Indicator Report of Fetal Mortality Rate
Definition
The number of resident fetal deaths of 20 or more weeks gestation per 1,000 resident live births plus fetal deaths of 20 or more weeks of gestation in the same year. A fetal death is 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.Numerator
Number of resident fetal deaths of 20 or more weeks gestation in a given yearDenominator
Number of live births plus fetal deaths of 20 or more weeks gestation to resident mothers in the same yearWhy Is This Important?
The fetal mortality rate is a critical measure of a population's health and is an important indicator of fetal and maternal health status and medical care.Healthy People Objective: Fetal deaths at 20 or more weeks of gestation
U.S. Target: 5.6 fetal deaths per 1,000 live births and fetal deathsHow Are We Doing?
There are approximately 600-700 fetal deaths of 20 or more weeks gestation among New Jersey residents each year. The New Jersey fetal mortality rate (FMR) in 2021 was 6.2 fetal deaths per 1,000 live births plus fetal deaths. The rate among non-Hispanic black mothers is two to three times the rates among other racial/ethnic groups.How Do We Compare With the U.S.?
The fetal mortality rate for New Jersey is above that of the U.S. as a whole.What Is Being Done?
The Division of [http://www.nj.gov/health/fhs/ Family Health Services] in the New Jersey Department of Health administers programs to enhance the health, safety and well-being of families and communities in New Jersey. Several programs are aimed at improving children's health, including reducing fetal mortality. The Department of Health has provided state funding to improve perinatal public health services and birth outcomes in communities. Fetal deaths are reviewed by the [https://www.nj.gov/health/fhs/maternalchild/mchepi/mortality-reviews/ Fetal Infant Mortality Review] Team and recommendations to reduce future deaths are made to public and private sources of care including hospitals, clinics, and health care professionals throughout the state. Efforts are continuing to increase public and provider awareness of needs for greater access to maternal preconception care, more awareness of risky preconception and post-conception behavior and for better general maternal health care.Available Services
The Division of Family Health Services (FHS) provides support for pregnant women and newborns through several programs: [https://www.nj.gov/health/fhs/] Information on programs that promote availability and use of prenatal care services may be found at: [https://www.nj.gov/health/fhs/maternalchild/] or [http://njparentlink.nj.gov/njparentlink/health/before/]Health Program Information
A '''fetal death''' is 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. Fetal deaths are also referred to as stillbirths, miscarriages, or spontaneous abortions. New Jersey law requires the reporting of all fetal deaths of 20 or more weeks gestational age. An induced termination of pregnancy (ITOP) is a kind of fetal death, however ITOPs are reported separately from spontaneous fetal deaths. In New Jersey health data reports, fetal death refers only to spontaneous fetal deaths. While interjurisdictional exchange of vital records is required for births and deaths, it is voluntary for fetal deaths. In the early 2000s, New Jersey stopped receiving fetal death records for New Jersey residents who experienced a fetal death out of state. With the publication of fetal death data on CDC WONDER in 2018, an accurate count of resident fetal deaths was available for the first time in nearly 15 years and our data files were updated accordingly.Related Indicators
Related Health Care System Factors Indicators:
Related Risk Factors Indicators:
Related Health Status Outcomes Indicators:
Data Tables
Fetal Mortality Rate by Year, New Jersey and the United States, 2000-2021
| US/NJ | Year | Fetal Deaths per 1,000 Live Births Plus Fetal Deaths | Lower Limit | Upper Limit | Numer- ator | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Record Count: 44 | ||||||
| US | 2000 | 6.6 | 27,003 | |||
| US | 2001 | 6.5 | 26,373 | |||
| US | 2002 | 6.4 | 25,943 | |||
| US | 2003 | 6.2 | 25,653 | |||
| US | 2004 | 6.2 | 25,655 | |||
| US | 2005 | 6.2 | 25,894 | |||
| US | 2006 | 6.1 | 25,972 | |||
| US | 2007 | 6.1 | 26,593 | |||
| US | 2008 | 6.2 | 26,335 | |||
| US | 2009 | 6.0 | 24,872 | |||
| US | 2010 | 6.0 | 24,258 | |||
| US | 2011 | 6.1 | 24,289 | |||
| US | 2012 | 6.1 | 24,073 | |||
| US | 2013 | 6.0 | 23,595 | |||
| US | 2014 | 6.0 | 23,980 | |||
| US | 2015 | 5.9 | 23,776 | |||
| US | 2016 | 6.0 | 23,880 | |||
| US | 2017 | 5.9 | 22,827 | |||
| US | 2018 | 5.9 | 22,459 | |||
| US | 2019 | 5.7 | 21,478 | |||
| US | 2020 | 5.7 | 20,854 | |||
| US | 2021 | 5.7 | 21,105 | |||
| NJ | 2000 | 6.6 | 6.1 | 7.0 | 766 | |
| NJ | 2001 | 7.0 | 6.5 | 7.5 | 818 | |
| NJ | 2002 | 6.8 | 6.3 | 7.3 | 786 | |
| NJ | 2003 | 6.4 | 6.0 | 6.9 | 756 | |
| NJ | 2004 | 6.4 | 6.0 | 6.9 | 742 | |
| NJ | 2005 | 6.2 | 5.7 | 6.6 | 703 | |
| NJ | 2006 | 6.8 | 6.3 | 7.3 | 783 | |
| NJ | 2007 | 6.9 | 6.4 | 7.4 | 809 | |
| NJ | 2008 | 6.6 | 6.1 | 7.0 | 744 | |
| NJ | 2009 | 7.0 | 6.5 | 7.5 | 772 | |
| NJ | 2010 | 6.7 | 6.2 | 7.2 | 722 | |
| NJ | 2011 | 6.4 | 5.9 | 6.8 | 675 | |
| NJ | 2012 | 6.6 | 6.1 | 7.1 | 693 | |
| NJ | 2013 | 6.7 | 6.2 | 7.2 | 693 | |
| NJ | 2014 | 6.7 | 6.2 | 7.2 | 696 | |
| NJ | 2015 | 6.4 | 5.9 | 6.8 | 654 | |
| NJ | 2016 | 6.8 | 699 | |||
| NJ | 2017 | 7.2 | 731 | |||
| NJ | 2018 | 6.9 | 6.4 | 7.4 | 701 | |
| NJ | 2019 | 6.7 | 6.2 | 7.2 | 673 | |
| NJ | 2020 | 6.7 | 6.2 | 7.2 | 659 | |
| NJ | 2021 | 6.2 | 5.8 | 6.7 | 636 | |
Data Notes
2016 and 2017 New Jersey data are from CDC WONDER and confidence intervals are not available.Data Sources
- Birth Certificate Database, Office of Vital Statistics and Registry, New Jersey Department of Health
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics. Natality public-use data. CDC WONDER On-line Database accessed at [http://wonder.cdc.gov/natality.html]
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics. Fetal death public-use data. CDC WONDER On-line Database accessed at [https://wonder.cdc.gov/fetal-deaths-current.html]
- Fetal Death Certificate Database, Office of Vital Statistics and Registration, New Jersey Department of Health
Fetal Mortality Rate by Mother's Race/Ethnicity, New Jersey, 2021
| Race/Ethnicity | Fetal Deaths per 1,000 Live Births Plus Fetal Deaths | Lower Limit | Upper Limit | Numer- ator | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Record Count: 6 | ||||||
| White | 5.1 | 4.5 | 5.8 | 240 | ||
| Black | 10.7 | 8.9 | 12.5 | 138 | ||
| Hispanic | 6.9 | 6.0 | 7.9 | 196 | ||
| Asian | 3.7 | 2.5 | 4.9 | 38 | ||
| New Jersey | 6.2 | 5.8 | 6.7 | 636 | ||
| United States | 5.7 | 21,105 | ||||
Data Notes
Data for White, Black, and Asian do not include Hispanics. Hispanic ethnicity includes persons of any race.Data Sources
- Birth Certificate Database, Office of Vital Statistics and Registry, New Jersey Department of Health
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics. Fetal death public-use data. CDC WONDER On-line Database accessed at [https://wonder.cdc.gov/fetal-deaths-current.html]
Fetal Mortality Rate by Leading Causes of Death, New Jersey, 2019-2021
| Cause of Death | Fetal Deaths per 1,000 Live Births Plus Fetal Deaths | Lower Limit | Upper Limit | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Record Count: 6 | ||||||
| Fetal Death of Unspecified Cause | 2.1 | 1.9 | 2.3 | |||
| Placenta, Cord, and Membranes Complications | 1.9 | 1.7 | 2.0 | |||
| Maternal Complications | 0.8 | 0.7 | 0.9 | |||
| Congenital Anomalies | 0.6 | 0.6 | 0.7 | |||
| Maternal Conditions Unrelated to Pregnancy | 0.4 | 0.3 | 0.5 | |||
Data Sources
- Birth Certificate Database, Office of Vital Statistics and Registry, New Jersey Department of Health
- Fetal Death Certificate Database, Office of Vital Statistics and Registration, New Jersey Department of Health
Fetal Mortality Rate by County of Residence, New Jersey, 2018-2021
| County | Fetal Deaths per 1,000 Live Births Plus Fetal Deaths | Lower Limit | Upper Limit | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Record Count: 23 | ||||||
| Atlantic | 7.1 | 5.6 | 8.7 | |||
| Bergen | 4.9 | 4.1 | 5.6 | |||
| Burlington | 5.9 | 4.8 | 7.0 | |||
| Camden | 7.5 | 6.4 | 8.6 | |||
| Cape May | ** | |||||
| Cumberland | 7.4 | 5.4 | 9.4 | |||
| Essex | 10.2 | 9.2 | 11.2 | |||
| Gloucester | 6.4 | 4.9 | 7.8 | |||
| Hudson | 6.1 | 5.3 | 6.9 | |||
| Hunterdon | 5.7 | 3.4 | 8.0 | |||
| Mercer | 7.3 | 6.0 | 8.6 | |||
| Middlesex | 6.5 | 5.6 | 7.3 | |||
| Monmouth | 6.1 | 5.1 | 7.2 | |||
| Morris | 5.6 | 4.5 | 6.6 | |||
| Ocean | 5.4 | 4.7 | 6.2 | |||
| Passaic | 6.4 | 5.5 | 7.4 | |||
| Salem | 8.2 | 4.8 | 11.7 | |||
| Somerset | 5.8 | 4.5 | 7.1 | |||
| Sussex | 6.2 | 4.0 | 8.3 | |||
| Union | 7.2 | 6.2 | 8.2 | |||
| Warren | ** | |||||
| New Jersey | 6.6 | 6.4 | 6.9 | |||
| United States | 5.8 | |||||
Data Notes
**Too few fetal deaths to calculate a reliable rate. Confidence limits are not available for US data.Data Sources
- Birth Certificate Database, Office of Vital Statistics and Registry, New Jersey Department of Health
- Fetal Death Certificate Database, Office of Vital Statistics and Registration, New Jersey Department of Health
References and Community Resources
The NJSHAD [https://www-doh.state.nj.us/doh-shad/query/selection/infantfetal/InfFetSelection.html Fetal Death Data Query] allows users to create tables, graphs, and maps of New Jersey fetal deaths by maternal age, race/ethnicity, birthplace, marital status, education, parity, and substance use during pregnancy; sex, plurality, delivery weight, gestational age, prenatal care, method and place of delivery, cause of death, and county or municipality of residence.
Page Content Updated On 08/22/2023,
Published on 08/22/2023
