METHODOLOGY

The report is developed by using the official data of birth and death in Brussels Region, both the medical and the administrative data. Medical and socio-demographic data were linked and the analysis of evolutions of selected indicators of perinatal health was performed.

RESULTS

A stabilization in the number of births has been observed since 2010 with a maximum number for 2010 (25,095 births). For 2008-2012, fetal mortality rates with gestation age of 22 weeks or with birth weights of 500 g was 8,8 ‰, this rate were respectively 4,4 ‰ with gestation age from 28 weeks and 7,7 ‰ with birth weights from 500 g. The average age of the mother increases from 2008 to 2012 regardless of parity. Since 2009 we observed an important increase in diabetes rate and stabilization for the proportion of overweight (35,1 % in 2012). The overall caesarean rates remains stable from 2008 to 2012 (20 %), but caesarean rates rose among the women with multiple pregnancies. The induction rate increased from 26,0 % in 2008 to 29,0 % in 2012 and ranks among the highest in Europe. Contrary to the caesarean and the induction, the rate of episiotomies decreased from 2009 to 2012 (from 38,0 % to 33,5 %).

DISCUSSION-CONCLUSION

The changes observed over the last five year, period since the start of CEpiP may simply reflect random variation rather than secular trend. However, it is noteworthy that there has been a stabilization in the number of births in Brussels Region since 2010. Fetal mortality rates according to the various criteria showed that the interpretation and comparisons had to take into account the definition used in the fetal mortality.

The improving in the quality of the medical data for some variables probably owed to the interaction between the maternity units and the CEpiP. On the negative side, completion of the socio-demographic data was less good than in previous years, in particular for educational status.