Stillbirths in the United States, 1981-2000: an age, period, and cohort analysis.

OBJECTIVES

We examined age, period, and cohort (APC) effects on temporal trends in stillbirths among Black and White women in the United States.

METHODS

We conducted a cohort study of Black and White women who delivered a singleton live-born or stillborn infant during 1981 through 2000. We analyzed stillbirth rates at 20 or more weeks of gestation within 7 age groups, 4 periods, and 10 "central" birth cohorts after adjusting for confounders.

RESULTS

In both racial groups, women younger than 20 years or 35 years or older were at increased risk of stillbirth; risks decreased over successive periods in all age groups. Birth cohort had no impact on stillbirth trends among Blacks and only a small, nonsignificant effect among Whites. Analyses of various APC combinations showed that Blacks were at a 1.2- to 2.9-fold increased risk for stillbirth relative to Whites. Attributable fractions for stillbirth because of age, period, and cohort effects were 16.5%, 24.9%, and 0.1%, respectively, among Black women and 14.5%, 36.2%, and 2.1%, respectively, among White women.

CONCLUSIONS

Strong effects of age and period were observed in stillbirth trends, but these factors do not explain the persistent stillbirth disparity between Black and White women.