The perinatal autopsy: its conduct and reporting in Australia.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the conduct and reporting on death certificates of perinatal autopsies in Australia. DATA SOURCES: (i) Medical certificates of cause of perinatal death in all States and Territories; (ii) registrations of perinatal deaths in New South Wales in 1985 and 1986. DATA EXTRACTION: Death certificates are assessed on three criteria: (i) an indication that an autopsy was performed; (ii) an indication whether the stated causes of death were based on autopsy findings; and (iii) an indication whether the clinical diagnosis was confirmed by autopsy. DATA SYNTHESIS: Perinatal death certificates give insufficient information in all three areas. Assessment of the accuracy and usefulness of autopsies requires better information. CONCLUSION: A two-part death certificate is suggested. The first part would report clinical diagnoses of the causes of death. The second part would compare these results with those of any autopsy.