Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40822869›Full record

ArticleThe Lancet regional health. Southeast Asia2025

Epidemiology and determinants of stillbirth disparities in India: a geospatial hotspot clustering study using integrated population-level data.

U Venkatesh, Om Prakash Bera, Ashoo Grover, Siddhant Shastri, Sayantan Chakraborty

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in The Lancet regional health. Southeast Asia, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors.

U VenkateshDepartment of Community Medicine & Family Medicine, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh, 273008, India.
Om Prakash BeraGlobal Health Advocacy Incubator (GHAI), Washington, DC, 20005, USA.
Ashoo GroverIndian Council of Medical Research, Ansari Nagar, New Delhi, 110029, India.
Siddhant ShastriIndependent Researcher, Kolkata, West Bengal, India.
Sayantan ChakrabortyYatharth Super Speciality Hospital, Omega 1, Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh, India.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Background: Stillbirth is a significant public health issue worldwide, with India bearing a substantial burden. While male fetuses are biologically more vulnerable, the geographic distribution of sex-specific stillbirth rates remains underexplored. This study investigates district-level stillbirth patterns across India and evaluates their spatial association with maternal, socio-demographic, and delivery care factors. Methods: This ecological study employed data integration using the Civil Registration System (CRS-2020) and the National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5) to compile district-level estimates of stillbirth rates (SBRs) along with maternal, delivery care, and socio-demographic indicators. SBR was calculated as the number of stillbirths per 1000 total births for each sex. Spatial autocorrelation was assessed using Global and Local Moran's I. Additionally, univariate and bivariate Local Indicators of Spatial Association (LISA) were conducted separately for male and female stillbirth rates to examine spatial clustering and associations with selected correlates, identifying hotspot and cold-spot regions across districts. Findings: The nationwide stillbirth rate (SBR) in 2020 was 6.548 per 1000 total births (female: 6.54; male: 6.63). Stillbirth rates were higher among urban mothers compared to rural mothers. Northern India, particularly Chandigarh, Jammu & Kashmir, and Rajasthan, recorded the highest SBR. Spatial analysis identified stillbirth hotspots primarily in Northern and Central India. Univariate Moran's I indicated strong spatial clustering for maternal factors, including below-normal BMI (Moran's I = 0.62) and iron-folic acid supplementation (Moran's I = 0.551). Bivariate Moran's I showed similar spatial trends for both sexes, with stillbirth rates positively correlated with anemia (female: 0.087; male: 0.078) and institutional births in public facilities (female: 0.084; male: 0.086), and negatively correlated with literacy (female: -0.069; male: -0.063) and cesarean deliveries in private facilities (female: -0.055; male: -0.090). Interpretation: This study found no significant geospatial disparity in sex-specific stillbirth rates across Indian districts, with similar clustering patterns for both sexes. Key determinants included literacy, wealth status, anemia, and cesarean deliveries. District-specific strategies, guided by geospatial insights, are essential for focused public health measures. Strengthening stillbirth registration and utilizing advanced spatial methods are crucial for improved monitoring and intervention planning. Funding: No funding was issued for this research.

Indexed as

Civil registration systemData integrationFetal sexgeospatial analysisHotspot clusteringIndiaMaternal healthStillbirth

Identifiers

PMID40822869
PMCPMC12355120

What Socratic holds

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LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.