864 cases of foeto‑infant mortality in 2023
In 2023, 864 babies in Belgium died either in the womb or during their first year of life. This is shown by the latest Statbel figures on foeto‑infant mortality, which are compiled based on the declaration forms for deaths of infants under one year old or stillbirths. This number is in line with the figures from previous years.
What is foeto-infant mortality?
Stillbirths
In 2023, 535 babies were stillborn. The stillbirth rate, i.e. the number of stillbirths per 1,000 births (both live births and stillbirths), was 4.8‰ in 2023. This corresponds to just under 5 deaths per 1,000 births. In 2022, this rate was also 4.8‰.
Infant mortality
In 2023, Belgium recorded 329 deaths of infants during their first year of life. In absolute terms, this is the lowest figure since records began (in 1958). In relative terms, this is expressed in infant mortality, which stood at 3.0‰ in 2023. This means there were 3.0 deaths of infants under one year of age per 1,000 live births. This is very similar to previous years: in 2021 and 2022, infant mortality stood at 2.9‰.
Clear decline in foeto‑infant mortality since 1960 (a decline that stabilises from 2000 onwards)
Since records began in 1958, both the number of stillbirths and the number of deaths of infants during their first year of life have decreased substantially. This can be seen in the 2 graphs below, which presents these deaths in absolute numbers. This decline in absolute numbers stabilises from the 2000s onwards.
Foeto‑infant mortality is more common among boys than girls
Historically, foeto‑infant mortality has been higher among boys than among girls (see the 2 graphs above). This observation still holds. The graph below focuses on the past five years (2019–2023) and shows the number of deaths among boys and girls in absolute terms. For both stillbirths and infant mortality, there are more deaths among boys than among girls.
| Age of death | BELGIUM | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Boys | Girls | Total | |
| Total | 184 | 145 | 329 |
| Less than 1 day | 38 | 42 | 80 |
| 1 day | 18 | 7 | 25 |
| 2 days | 5 | 10 | 15 |
| 3 days | 7 | 6 | 13 |
| 4 days | 7 | 4 | 11 |
| 5 days | 8 | 3 | 11 |
| 6 days | 8 | 5 | 13 |
| 7 to 27 days | 39 | 27 | 66 |
| 28 to 364 days | 54 | 41 | 95 |
| Average age (in days) | 46,7 | 44,5 | 45,8 |
| Source: Statbel (Directorate-General Statistics- Statistics Belgium) | |||
Purpose and brief description
The feto-infant mortality statistics are compiled on the basis of the declaration form of the death of a child under one year of age or of a stillborn child. Since 2010, the National Register has also been used to more accurately determine the relevant official life events and to check the main information. These statistics break down deaths into those before the age of one year old and infants who were stillborn, per gender, by administrative units of the country, by the main characteristics of the mother (age, civil status, state of union, level of education, professional status, nationality) and by certain characteristics of the delivery and of the newborns (location, way of giving birth, twin birth, weight, duration of the pregnancy, congenital defect). They also produce various indicators of feto-infant mortality and a breakdown of feto-infant deaths according to the age of death.
Data collection method
The feto-infant mortality statistics are compiled on the basis of two sources: the National Register of Natural Persons (NRPP) and the statistical declaration forms for a child under one year old or stillborn (Model IIID). These forms are an important source on infant mortality and provide a lot of information, especially health data. They also provide information about the circumstances of birth and about the parents of the deceased children. They are the only source of information on stillbirths or late fetal deaths. The information provided by the NR is less extensive, concerns only infant mortality, but is available more quickly; it contains the death of all children residing in Belgium (and therefore registered in the NR), regardless of whether the death took place in Belgium or abroad. Until 2009, these two sources were consolidated in relation to each other, but in the sense that the declaration forms served as a reference, with the NR being used mainly to provide the data that were missing or not requested on the declaration forms. Therefore, only the deaths (that took place in Belgium and were therefore) reported to the Belgian Registry Office were taken into account when compiling the infant mortality statistics, i.e. those for which the stated place of residence was a Belgian municipality. Since 2010, the statistics have been produced with the NR as reference. Henceforth, only the death of a child included in the NR will be taken into account. By using the NR, the death of a child abroad can be included in the statistics. It also makes it possible to acknowledge the death of children registered in the waiting register for refugees and asylum seekers.
Population
All feto-infant deaths
Frequency
Annually.
Release calendar
Results available 1 year after the reference period
Definitions
Deceased infant: death before the first birthday of a live-born child.
Stillborn child: child who, at the time of birth, does not show any sign of life (such as breathing, heartbeat, pulsating of the umbilical cord, effective contraction of a muscle) and weighs at least 500 grams or, if the weight is unknown, had a gestational age of at least 22 weeks. Below this limit, we are talking about a premature fetal death that is not officially declared.
Twin birth: Total number of births, including stillbirths, due to pregnancy
Place of the child: Place of the child in the totality of living births to the mother
Duration of the pregnancy: Duration of the pregnancy (in weeks) at the time of birth
Way of giving birth: Type of assistance during birth
Congenital defects: Presence of one or more congenital defects
Weight: Weight (in grams) of the child at birth
Apgar after 1 minute: Apgar score after 1 minute
Apgar after 5 minutes: Apgar score after 5 minutes.
Region: the child’s region of legal residence. In the case of a stillbirth: the mother’s region of habitual residence at the time of birth.