How are fetal deaths categorized in terms of death rates?

Fetal deaths are categorized not to be included in either gross or net death rates. Gross death rates typically account for all deaths occurring within a certain population during a specified period, regardless of the cause, including deaths of infants and children. However, gross death rates specifically focus on the deaths of live births rather than fetal deaths, as fetal deaths are defined as the loss of a fetus at any stage of pregnancy prior to delivery.

Net death rates account for deaths in a population while also factoring out specific causes, such as deaths due to certain diseases or in certain age groups. Nevertheless, like gross death rates, net death rates do not incorporate fetal deaths, primarily because they focus on live births and their subsequent mortality.

The rationale behind excluding fetal deaths from both gross and net death rates is rooted in the definition and classification of death itself, primarily emphasizing those lives that were born and thus entered into the population statistics post-delivery. This ensures that the mortality data reflects the outcomes of births rather than complications or outcomes occurring during pregnancy prior to delivery.