Canadian Health Information Management Association Practice Exam 2025 - Free CHIMA Practice Questions and Study Guide

Perinatal mortality rate is defined as the number of fetal and infant deaths that occur around the time of birth, typically including deaths that happen from the 20th week of gestation until the 7th day after birth. To calculate this rate, one would divide the total number of these deaths by the number of live births during the same period. This measure is significant in public health as it reflects the quality of maternal and fetal care in a healthcare system, allowing for evaluations of obstetric services and overall infant health outcomes.

The other choices represent different statistical measures or definitions: fetal mortality rate specifically focuses only on deaths before birth, infant fertility rate inaccurately relates to birth rates rather than mortality, and maternal mortality rate pertains specifically to the deaths of women during pregnancy, childbirth, or shortly after. These terms are related but distinct from the concept of perinatal mortality rate, which encompasses both fetal and early infant deaths.