§ Mr. LivseyTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will publish the figures for perinatal mortality in Wales for each year since 1979, in a form statistically comparable to those produced elsewhere in western Europe.
§ Mr. GristThe numbers of registered perinatal deaths and the perinatal mortality rates for Wales since 1979 are given in the following table:
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Perinatal deaths in Wales Year 1Number 2Rate 1979 569 15.6 1980 483 12.8 1981 508 14.1 1982 400 11.1 1983 405 11.3 1984 380 10.5 1985 378 10.2 1986 384 10.3 1987 351 9.2 1 The number of registered stillbirths and deaths within the first week of life. 2 Perinatal deaths per 1,000 total (ie live and still births). Source:OPCS.
Precise data comparability with countries outside the United Kingdom are problematic as the legal requirements of the registration systems vary, as do the recording practices, particularly as regards stillbirth.
Within the United Kingdom stillbirths of 28 weeks gestation and over should be registered. Lower gestation limits apply in some countries for example France (26 weeks). In other countries a physical measurement of the stillborn is the criterion. For example birthweight of 1,000g or more applies in Federal Republic of Germany and in some countries the criterion is either gestation or physical measurement.