Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41566287›Full record

ArticleBMC pregnancy and childbirth2026

Late gestation stillbirth epidemiology: findings from a nationally representative mortality survey of one million population sample in India.

Rakhi Dandona, G Anil Kumar, Md Akbar, S Siva Prasad Dora, Moutushi Majumder, Reema Mukherjee, Lalit Dandona

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in BMC pregnancy and childbirth, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing 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

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
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

7 authors.

Rakhi DandonaPublic Health Foundation of India, House No. 60, 4th Floor, Lane 2, Saidulajab Village, Saket, New Delhi, 110030, India. rakhi.dandona@phfi.org.
G Anil KumarPublic Health Foundation of India, House No. 60, 4th Floor, Lane 2, Saidulajab Village, Saket, New Delhi, 110030, India.
Md AkbarPublic Health Foundation of India, House No. 60, 4th Floor, Lane 2, Saidulajab Village, Saket, New Delhi, 110030, India.
S Siva Prasad DoraPublic Health Foundation of India, House No. 60, 4th Floor, Lane 2, Saidulajab Village, Saket, New Delhi, 110030, India.
Moutushi MajumderPublic Health Foundation of India, House No. 60, 4th Floor, Lane 2, Saidulajab Village, Saket, New Delhi, 110030, India.
Reema MukherjeeDivision of Reproductive, Child Health and Nutrition, Indian Council of Medical Research, New Delhi, India.
Lalit DandonaPublic Health Foundation of India, House No. 60, 4th Floor, Lane 2, Saidulajab Village, Saket, New Delhi, 110030, India.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundWe report on late gestation stillbirth rate (SBR) and impact of COVID-19 pandemic in a nationally representative mortality survey in nine Indian states.

methodsDetailed verbal autopsy (VA) interviews using PHMRC VA tool were undertaken for stillbirths reported between 2019 and 2022 from the adult most knowledgeable about the circumstances in a nationally representative population sample of one million. Late gestation stillbirth was defined as a fetal death with gestation period of ≥ 7 months where the fetus did not show any sign of life. We estimated overall SBR, and pre-, during and post-COVID-19 periods per 1000 births for India. We also report on stillbirth registration, last rites, and whether the mother was able to see and hold her baby.

resultsWe identified 878 stillbirths in 59,639 births from 240,975 households (87.1% participation) covering an average population of 1,002,098. The annualised SBR between 2019 and 2022 was 14.7 (95% CI 13.8–15.7) per 1,000 births. The SBR in post-COVID-19 period (18.3; 95% CI 16.1–20.8) was significantly higher than pre-COVID-19 period (12.7; 95% CI 11.2–14.4) and COVID-19 period (14.4; 95% CI 13.0-15.9). The annualised antepartum SBR was estimated at 6.1 (95% CI 5.5–6.7) and intrapartum SBR at 5.0 (95% CI 4.5–5.6) per 1,000 births. Stillbirth certificate was available for only 8 stillbirths; last rites were performed for nearly all stillbirths (98.9%) and burial was the most commonly reported practice (90.9%). Only 187 (25.5%) mothers had seen and held their stillborn baby, 194 (26.4%) had only seen their baby, and 353 (48.1%) had neither seen nor held their baby.

conclusionsThis study documents an increase in SBR post COVID-19 pandemic as compared with the pre- and pandemic periods in India. Findings could contribute to monitoring of SBR, development of bereavement guidelines, and strengthening of stillbirth registration to address the burden of stillbirths in India.

Indexed as

COVID-19StillbirthAdultFemaleGestational AgeHumansIndiaPregnancyPregnancy Trimester, ThirdSARS-CoV-2Young AdultAntepartumBereavementCOVID-19 pandemicIndiaIntrapartumLast riteRegistrationStillbirth

Identifiers

PMID41566287
PMCPMC12875003

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

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.