Perinatal deaths: relevance of Wigglesworth's classification.

Out of a total of 4572 births over a period of 16 months occurring at St Philomena's Hospital, Bangalore, India, which has level II nursery facilities, there were 196 perinatal deaths. Perinatal mortality was 42.9/1000 total births. Case fatality rate was 12.4% for those born with a birthweight between 1501 to 2000 g, 35.5% for those between 1001 to 1500 g and 100% for those less than 1001 g. These deaths were grouped according to Wigglesworth's classification: 20% were due to prematurity and 24% to birth asphyxia. These two categories contributed to almost half of the perinatal deaths. Classification of perinatal deaths using Wigglesworth's classification appeared to be a practical and problem-oriented system. It also carried clear implications for improving perinatal care. The adoption of this method of classification by all major hospitals is recommended so that easy comparisons can be drawn over time and between different centres.