Epidemiological Study on Foetal Deaths in Nishi-Usuki District, Miyazaki Prefecture

Abstract

We investigated epidemiologically about 517 foetal deaths —210 spontaneous and 307 artificial foetal deaths—which occured during the period from 1959 through 1964 in Nishi-Usuki district, Miyazaki Prefecture, Kyushu, Japan . (Population : 52, 084) The following results were obtained : 1) The total births (live births puls stillbirths) in Nishi-Usuki district (1959-1963) is 5, 555. The number of spontaneous and artificial foetal death is 183 and 266. The foetal death rate is 80.8%. The rate in the whole country is higher than that of . Nishi-Usuki district, and the rate in Miyazaki Prefecture is higher than that of the whole country. The spontaneous foetal death rate is 32.9%. The order : the whole country, Miyazaki Prefecture, Nishi-Usuki district. The artificial foetal death rate is 47.9%. It is nearly equal to the rate in the whole country, and lower than the rate in Miyazaki Prefecture. 2) Annual Variations : The increase of the total foetal death rate due to the sudden increase of artificial foetal death in 1961 is very noticeable. 3) Mother's age : The peak of foetal death rate occures at age 30; in the case of spontaneous deaths between 25 and 30; and for artificial deaths about 35 years old. (Deeming the total foetal deaths to be 100%, the percentage of foetal deaths for each age calculated.) 4) Months of pregnancy : The peak is in 5th month (national average ……6th month). For spontaneous foetal death, the peak is in the 8th month (national average …… 6th month). For . artificial foetal death, the paek is in 5th month, and is the same as the national average. 5) Month of birth : Although not remarkable, the peak is around October. It is nearly equal to the case of the national statistics. The peak in the spontaneous deaths is about February. The peak in the artificial deaths is about August. 6) Regional variations : In Kamino, the spontaneous foetal deaths rate is low and the artificial foetal death rate is high, while in Gokase both the spontaneous and artificial foetal death rate are rather low. 7) Countermeasures : More complete and timely health guidance to pregnant mothers is necessary in areas where spontaneous deaths are high such as Hinokage. Education in birth control methods should be improved in areas, such as Kamino, where the artificial foetal death rate is high.