Adjusted mortality rates: a tool for creating more meaningful league tables for stillbirth and infant mortality rates.

A number of problems associated with league tables of performance indicators have been discussed in the literature. This paper attempts to address these problems for stillbirth and infant mortality rates in order to produce meaningful and useful information for the government, general public and health professionals. Composite stillbirth and infant mortality rates, low birth-weight and very low birth-weight rates were determined for the 100 English Health Authorities for 1996-1997.

Which is the best deprivation predictor of foetal and infant mortality rates?

This study investigates which, if any, population-based indicator of deprivation best predicts foetal and infant mortality rates in England. For the year 1995, the deprivation levels of 364 English Local Authorities were compared; using the three commonly used indicators, Jarman score, Townsend score and percentage unemployed. The predictive value of these for stillbirth, neonatal and infant mortality rates was then calculated.