1. Objectifs

Intentions :
«The objectives of this study were twofold. We sought to […] determine whether Anglophones contributed to the overall decrease in the rate of stillbirth over time in Quebec, and [we wanted to] evaluate differences in the gestational timing or causes of fetal death between Anglophones and Francophones.» (p. 354)

Questions/Hypothèses :
«We hypothesized that stillbirth rates did not necessarily decrease for Quebec’s Anglophones, and that linguistic inequalities were potentially greater later in gestation or for causes of death preventable through health care.» (p. 354)

2. Méthode

Échantillon/Matériau :
«We analyzed the cohort of all singleton live births (N = 2,482,364) and stillbirths (N = 10,287) in the province of Quebec over three decades from 1981 through 2010, excluding abortions. We used information from birth registration certificates, which by law all residents must submit to the Quebec Health Ministry even if delivery occurs out of province.» (p. 354)

Type de traitement des données :
Analyse statistique

3. Résumé

«Stillbirth rates have increased in the Anglophone minority of Quebec. The increase occurred over a range of causes, and was greater at term and before 28 weeks of gestation. This contrasts with a consistent decline in stillbirth in the Francophone majority since the 1980s. The reason for the increase in Anglophone stillbirth is not clear, but may involve sociodemographic factors and health care utilization. Heightened vigilance of Anglophones in Quebec and targeted stillbirth prevention programs deserve scrutiny. Surveillance of perinatal health problems such as stillbirth should include novel indicators such as mother tongue to identify minorities at risk, especially in countries containing multiple linguistic groups.» (p. 360-361)