Development of Monitoring Methods for Perinatal Outcomes. August 1998

摘要

Of the many purposes for surveillance, monitoring of perinatal events at the211u001enational level primarily encompass detecting epidemics, and providng quantitative 211u001eestimates of the magnitude of morbidity and mortality. If surveillance efforts 211u001ewere expanded to smaller jurisdictions such as cities or communities, the 211u001epurposes of monitoring could be extended to include describing and identifying 211u001elocal factors related to adverse perinatal outcome occurrence, an evaluating 211u001elocal control and prevention programs and activities. Monitoring rare health 211u001eevents such as adverse perinatal outcomes, however, presents program planners and 211u001eresearchers with a challenging task. Despite decades of experience with 211u001emonitoring national or state-wide rates of infant morbidity and mortality in the 211u001eU.S., no adequate methods are available to monitor short-term changes in 211u001eperinatal events in areas such as counties, cities or even smaller areas such as 211u001ecensus tracts. Because there are few infant deaths in these areas, distinguishing 211u001erandom fluctuations from actual increases in infant mortality over time is 211u001edifficult.