Defining birth - The definitions of "birth" and their impacts on perinatal indicators in the Brussels Regio

June 2014

PDF of French version or PDF of Dutch version

This second "note" of the Health and Social Observatory presents the different definitions used in Belgium by the various legislative bodies and broader in Europe which determine the minimum pregnancy duration that has to be taken into account when selecting the fœtus stillborn or alive to include in administrative or epidemiologic analyses.

It discusses their impact on different indicators including foetal mortality, infantile mortality, rate of congenital abnormalities and rate of preterm birth on Brussels data.

Please cite this publication as follows:
Brussels-Capital Health and Social Observatory, Defining Birth, notes of the
Observatory - 2. Joint Community Commission, Brussels, 2014

Keywords:
Perinatal health, Brussels, Belgium / epidemiology, Perinatal mortality, Europe,
Urban health, Fetal death, Infant, Premature, Mortality, Definition of Birth

Download below the second "Note of the Observatory"

FR - Définir une naissance - De la définition d'une naissance et de son impact sur les indicateurs périnataux en Région bruxelloise

NL - Een geboorte definiëren. Definities van een geboorte en impact op de perinatale indicatoren in het Brussels Gewest