PERINATAL MORTALITY RATE is the sum of the number of resident fetal deaths of 28 or more weeks gestation plus the number of resident new-borns dying under 7 days of age in a specified geographic area (country, state, county, etc.) divided by the sum of the number of resident live births plus the number of resident fetal deaths of 28 or more weeks gestation for the same geographic area (for a specified time period, usually a calendar year) and multiplied by 1,000.
Perinatal mortality (PNM) refers to the death of a fetus or neonate and is the basis to calculate the perinatal mortality rate. Variations in the precise definition of the perinatal mortality exist, specifically concerning the issue of inclusion or exclusion of early fetal and late neonatal fatalities.