| Contents of This Page |
 1. Introduction |
| 2. Definitions |
| 3. Fetal Deaths and Fetal Mortality Rate |
| 4. Neonatal Deaths and Neonatal Mortality Rate |
| 5. Perinatal Deaths and Perinatal Mortality Rate |
| 6. Postneonatal Deaths and Postneonatal Mortality Rate |
| 7. Infant Deaths and Infant Mortality Rate |
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Introduction
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According to the Healthy People 2010 Objectives,
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"The health of mothers, infants, and children is of critical
importance, both as a reflection of the current health status of a
large segment of the U.S. population and as a predictor of the health
of the next generation.
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Infant mortality is an important measure of a nation's health and a
worldwide indicator of health status and social well-being. As of
1995, the U.S. infant mortality rates ranked 25th among industrialized
nations. [National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS). Health, United
States, 1999. Hyattsville, MD: U.S. Department of Health and Human
Services, 1999.] In the past decade, critical measures of increased
risk of infant death, such as new cases of low birth weight (LBW) and
very low birth weight (VLBW) actually have increased in the United
States. In addition, the disparity in infant mortality rates between
whites and specific racial and ethnic groups (especially African
Americans, American Indians or Alaska Natives, Native Hawaiians, and
Puerto Ricans) persists. Although the overall infant mortality rate
has reached record low levels, the rate for African Americans remains
twice that of whites. [Ventura, S.J.; Anderson, R.N.; Martin, J.A.; et
al. Births and deaths: Preliminary data for 1997. National Vital
Statistics Report 47(4):1-42, 1999.]
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The death of fetuses before birth is another important indicator of
perinatal health. In 1996, nearly 7 fetal deaths were reported for
every 1,000 live births and fetal deaths combined, representing a
slight decline from the fetal mortality rate of 7.6 per 1,000 in
1987."
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The following table shows the Healthy People 2010 Objective for the mortality outcomes:
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The California County Profile Reports include information on fetal, infant, perinatal, neonatal, and postneonatal
mortality.
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Definitions
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For the Healthy People 2010 Objectives, fetal deaths occurring at 20 or
more weeks of gestation are included in the fetal mortality calculations. For the California County Profile Reports, the fetal mortality rate is defined
as the number of fetal deaths occurring at 20 or more weeks of gestation divided by the number of all live births and fetal deaths multiplied by 1,000.
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The neonatal mortality rate is defined as the number of deaths at less than 28 days of age divided by the number of all live births
multiplied by 1,000.
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The Healthy People 2010 Objectives define perinatal deaths as fetal deaths at 28 weeks or more of gestation or deaths until 7 days of age.
For the California County Profile Reports, the perinatal mortality rate is defined
as the number of fetal or neonatal deaths at 28 weeks of gestation to seven days after birth divided by the number of all live births plus the number of fetal deaths at 28 weeks of gestation or more multiplied by 1,000.
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The postneonatal mortality rate is defined as the number of deaths at age 28 days to 365 days of age divided by the number of all live births
that survived to 27 days of age multiplied by 1,000.
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The infant mortality rate is defined as the number of deaths within 365 days of age divided by the number of all live births
multiplied by 1,000. Neonatal and postneonatal deaths combined constitute infant deaths.
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Tables and Figures
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| Number of Fetal Deaths and Fetal Mortality Rate by Race/Ethnicity, California and Merced County, 2007 |
| Race/Ethnicity |
Merced County | California |
| N | Denominator | per 1000 | N | Denominator | per 1000 |
| Hispanic |
18 |
3,079 |
5.8 |
1,385 |
298,416 |
4.6 |
| Non-Hispanic White |
7 |
1,048 |
6.7 |
774 |
151,789 |
5.1 |
| Non-Hispanic Black |
2 |
128 |
15.6 |
307 |
29,820 |
10.3 |
| Non-Hispanic Asian/Pacific Islander |
0 |
358 |
0.0 |
294 |
69,169 |
4.3 |
| Non-Hispanic Other Race |
0 |
64 |
0.0 |
81 |
19,965 |
4.1 |
| Overall |
27 |
4,677 |
5.8 |
2,841 |
569,159 |
5.0 |
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Births with unknown values are not included
Categories with less than 10 live births are grayed
Source: California Department of Public Health (CDPH) |
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| Fetal Mortality Rate, Merced County, 2005-2007 |
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| Download as PDF |
| Source: California Department of Public Health (CDPH) |
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| Fetal Mortality Rate, California and Merced County, 2005-2007 |
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| Download as PDF |
| Source: California Department of Public Health (CDPH) |
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| Number of Neonatal Deaths and Neonatal Mortality Rate by Race/Ethnicity, California and Merced County, 2007 |
| Race/Ethnicity |
Merced County | California |
| N | Denominator | per 1000 | N | Denominator | per 1000 |
| Hispanic |
13 |
3,061 |
4.2 |
1,069 |
297,031 |
3.6 |
| Non-Hispanic White |
4 |
1,041 |
3.8 |
486 |
151,015 |
3.2 |
| Non-Hispanic Black |
2 |
126 |
15.9 |
240 |
29,513 |
8.1 |
| Non-Hispanic Asian/Pacific Islander |
0 |
358 |
0.0 |
257 |
68,875 |
3.7 |
| Non-Hispanic Other Race |
0 |
64 |
0.0 |
41 |
19,884 |
2.1 |
| Overall |
19 |
4,650 |
4.1 |
2,093 |
566,318 |
3.7 |
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Births with unknown values are not included
Categories with less than 10 live births are grayed
Source: California Department of Public Health (CDPH) |
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| Neonatal Mortality Rate, Merced County, 2005-2007 |
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| Download as PDF |
| Source: California Department of Public Health (CDPH) |
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| Neonatal Mortality Rate, California and Merced County, 2005-2007 |
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| Download as PDF |
| Source: California Department of Public Health (CDPH) |
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| Number of Perinatal Deaths and Perinatal Mortality Rate by Race/Ethnicity, California and Merced County, 2007 |
| Race/Ethnicity |
Merced County | California |
| N | Denominator | per 1000 | N | Denominator | per 1000 |
| Hispanic |
24 |
3,074 |
7.8 |
1,612 |
297,787 |
5.4 |
| Non-Hispanic White |
8 |
1,046 |
7.6 |
749 |
151,373 |
4.9 |
| Non-Hispanic Black |
4 |
128 |
31.3 |
343 |
29,651 |
11.6 |
| Non-Hispanic Asian/Pacific Islander |
0 |
358 |
0.0 |
368 |
69,030 |
5.3 |
| Non-Hispanic Other Race |
0 |
64 |
0.0 |
68 |
19,921 |
3.4 |
| Overall |
36 |
4,670 |
7.7 |
3,140 |
567,762 |
5.5 |
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Births with unknown values are not included
Categories with less than 10 live births are grayed
Source: California Department of Public Health (CDPH) |
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| Perinatal Mortality Rate, Merced County, 2005-2007 |
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| Download as PDF |
| Source: California Department of Public Health (CDPH) |
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| Perinatal Mortality Rate, California and Merced County, 2005-2007 |
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| Download as PDF |
| Source: California Department of Public Health (CDPH) |
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| Number of Postneonatal Deaths and Postneonatal Mortality Rate by Race/Ethnicity, California and Merced County, 2007 |
| Race/Ethnicity |
Merced County | California |
| N | Denominator | per 1000 | N | Denominator | per 1000 |
| Hispanic |
3 |
3,061 |
1.0 |
452 |
297,031 |
1.5 |
| Non-Hispanic White |
7 |
1,041 |
6.7 |
237 |
151,015 |
1.6 |
| Non-Hispanic Black |
2 |
126 |
15.9 |
124 |
29,513 |
4.2 |
| Non-Hispanic Asian/Pacific Islander |
0 |
358 |
0.0 |
85 |
68,875 |
1.2 |
| Non-Hispanic Other Race |
0 |
64 |
0.0 |
31 |
19,884 |
1.6 |
| Overall |
12 |
4,650 |
2.6 |
929 |
566,318 |
1.6 |
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Births with unknown values are not included
Categories with less than 10 live births are grayed
Source: California Department of Public Health (CDPH) |
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| Postneonatal Mortality Rate, Merced County, 2005-2007 |
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| Download as PDF |
| Source: California Department of Public Health (CDPH) |
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| Postneonatal Mortality Rate, California and Merced County, 2005-2007 |
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| Download as PDF |
| Source: California Department of Public Health (CDPH) |
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| Number of Infant Deaths and Infant Mortality Rate by Race/Ethnicity, California and Merced County, 2007 |
| Race/Ethnicity |
Merced County | California |
| N | Denominator | per 1000 | N | Denominator | per 1000 |
| Hispanic |
16 |
3,061 |
5.2 |
1,521 |
297,031 |
5.1 |
| Non-Hispanic White |
11 |
1,041 |
10.6 |
723 |
151,015 |
4.8 |
| Non-Hispanic Black |
4 |
126 |
31.7 |
364 |
29,513 |
12.3 |
| Non-Hispanic Asian/Pacific Islander |
0 |
358 |
0.0 |
342 |
68,875 |
5.0 |
| Non-Hispanic Other Race |
0 |
64 |
0.0 |
72 |
19,884 |
3.6 |
| Overall |
31 |
4,650 |
6.7 |
3,022 |
566,318 |
5.3 |
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Births with unknown values are not included
Categories with less than 10 live births are grayed
Source: California Department of Public Health (CDPH) |
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| Infant Mortality Rate, Merced County, 2005-2007 |
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| Download as PDF |
| Source: California Department of Public Health (CDPH) |
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| Infant Mortality Rate, California and Merced County, 2005-2007 |
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| Download as PDF |
| Source: California Department of Public Health (CDPH) |
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