The perinatal mortality rate is calculated as the number of still births plus the
number of deaths among babies under 7 days of age per 1,000 live and still births.
There are between 10 and 20 perinatal deaths each year in Gateshead. As the
number is small, a three year pooled rate is used which smooths out year on year
fluctuations in the mortality rate. The Gateshead rate is not significantly different
to the rate for the North East or England and is following a downward trend.
