Perinatal death: audit and classification.

Two hundred and thirteen perinatal deaths occurred in a population of 10,539 deliveries over a 4-year period. The associated obstetric complications and circumstances were analysed. The majority of perinatal deaths occurred in fetuses in whom there was a serious malformation, or whose birth weight was less than 800 g. Of the 110 deaths which occurred in normal babies weighing 800 g or more, 54 were antepartum, 5 were intrapartum, and 51 were neonatal. The clinical features surrounding these deaths were classified, and their implications discussed.