The objectives are to assemble a multi-state data file of infant deaths in which prior linkage with birth certificate information has been performed. Similar information regarding fetal deaths, based on reports filed for fetuses of at least 20 weeks gestation, will also be studied. The studies to be done on the data set include associations between infant and fetal mortality with the standard information on birth certificates (e.g., birth weight, gestational age, maternal age, race, parity, etc. ) . The information on fetal or infant death records includes immediate and underlying cause-of-death categories corresponding to the International Classification of Diseases (ICD), based on either the eighth or ninth revision of the ICD codes. Some additional data are available from selected states regarding smoking during pregnancy, maternal prepregnant weight and height, weight-gain during pregnancy, occupation of parents, and the levels of obstetric and pediatric care available to mother and infant.
