Fetal and Infant Mortality Review Team (FIMRT) Report 2021

From 2015-2020 there were a total of 5,182 fetal deaths in Virginia. Using data from the Virginia Office of Health Statistics, the rate of fetal death in Virginia in 2019 was 7.6 fetal deaths per every 1,000 live births (Statistical Reports and Tables, 2021), which is the lowest it has been since 2015. From 2016-2020 there were a total of 2,723 infant deaths in Virginia. The Centers for Disease Control estimates the infant mortality rate in Virginia to be 5.8 infant deaths per 1,000 live births as of 2019 (Centers for Disease Control, 2021), with similar rates over a 5 year time span. Despite lower numbers of fetal deaths and stable rates of infant deaths, Virginia continues to struggle to decrease mortality in these populations. According to the Centers for Disease Control, Virginia falls in the lower 50 percent when compared to other states and has been there for some time. Previous efforts aimed at reducing fetal and infant death have fallen short and resulted in the ending of fetal and infant death review through Regional Perinatal Councils in 2012.