MBRRACE-UK Perinatal Mortality Surveillance report: UK Perinatal Deaths for Births from January to December 2021 (14 September 2023)

Summary

The Maternal, Newborn and Infant Clinical Outcome Review Programme, which is delivered by MBRRACE-UK, has published a report on UK Perinatal Deaths for Births from January to December 2021.

Overall, it found that perinatal mortality rates increased across the UK in 2021, with 3.54 stillbirths per 1,000 total births and 1.65 neonatal deaths per 1,000 live births (3.33 and 1.53 respectively in 2020). However, there was a wide variation in stillbirth and neonatal mortality rates across organisations, though these rates increased in almost all gestational age groups. It was also found that inequalities in mortality rates by deprivation and ethnicity remain, but the most common causes of stillbirth and neonatal death are unchanged (for example, congenital anomalies continue to contribute to a significant proportion of perinatal deaths).

Content

Recommendations

The report makes a number of recommendations, including calls to:

• support external clinical input into the rigorous review of all stillbirths and neonatal deaths across the UK, to identify learning and common themes related to clinical care and service provision, delivery and organisation.
• ensure healthcare providers adopt and use the BAPM Perinatal Optimisation Pathway, to improve preterm outcomes.
• continue to develop and implement targeted action, at national and organisational levels, to support the reduction of direct and indirect health inequalities.
• review perinatal pathology services as a national priority, and ensure equity of access to all modalities of post-mortem examination.