Canadian Health Information Management Association Practice Exam

Fetal deaths are typically not included in either gross or net death rates as these statistics primarily reflect the mortality that occurs after birth. Gross death rates account for the total deaths in a given population over a specific period, but they focus on live births and deaths that occur after birth. Similarly, net death rates account for the total deaths minus the deaths that can be attributed to certain causes (like those accounted for in the infant mortality rate), but still, they are oriented towards live-born infants and do not capture fetal mortality—deaths that happen before birth.

This distinction is important in public health and demography because fetal death can be influenced by factors that differ significantly from those affecting the survival of live-born infants. As a result, fetal deaths are treated separately in epidemiological statistics, and this separation ensures a clearer understanding of maternal and fetal health outcomes distinct from postnatal mortality rates.