US Number of Fetal Deaths By Gestation Period in 2022 (CDC)

Updated on October 28, 2024.

According to the CDC data, in 2022, there were 40,113 recorded fetal deaths in the US. The number of fetal deaths that occurred during the gestation period of 20 Weeks and Over was 20,288 (50.58% of total), and the number that occurred during the gestation period of Under 20 Weeks was 18,354 (45.76% of total).

The gestation period with the highest number of fetal deaths was 1-15 Weeks, with a count of 15,754 deaths (39.27% of total). The gestation period with the second highest number of fetal deaths was 20-23 Weeks, with a count of 7,141 deaths (17.80% of total). And, the gestation period with the third highest fetal deaths was 24-27 Weeks, with a count of 3,115 deaths (7.77% of total).

The chart below shows the percentages of fetal deaths related to the top 10 gestation periods with high number of deaths. The table below shows the number and percentage of fetal deaths for the different gestation periods in the US.

The CDC defines “Fetal death” as: "death prior to the complete expulsion or extraction from its mother of a product of human conception, irrespective of the duration of pregnancy and which is not an induced termination of pregnancy. The death is indicated by the fact that after such expulsion or extraction, the fetus does not breathe or show any other evidence of life such as beating of the heart, pulsation of the umbilical cord, or definite movement of voluntary muscles."

Data Source: CDC.
Percent of Fetal Deaths By Gestation Period in the US in 2022
1-15 Weeks
20-23 Weeks
24-27 Weeks
16-19 Weeks
34-36 Weeks
28-31 Weeks
37-38 Weeks
Uknown
32-33 Weeks
39-40 Weeks
US Fetal Deaths By Gestation Period in 2022
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Gestation Period Number of Fetal Deaths Percent of Total Fetal Deaths (%)
1-15 Weeks 15754 39.27
20-23 Weeks 7141 17.80
24-27 Weeks 3115 7.77
16-19 Weeks 2670 6.66
34-36 Weeks 2632 6.56
28-31 Weeks 2507 6.25
37-38 Weeks 1884 4.70
Uknown 1471 3.67
32-33 Weeks 1433 3.57
39-40 Weeks 1292 3.22
41 Weeks 159 0.40
42 Weeks and Over 55 0.14