In module 2 you’ve learnt how to complete Section G.1 of the South African Death Notification Form, for deaths occurring after one week of birth.  Section G.2 is completed for all perinatal deaths – that is stillbirths and deaths occurring within one week of birth. This section contains pertinent details of both mother and child.  Information collected on the mother includes her ID number, her date of birth or age, the pregnancy and antenatal history. 

Information is also collected on the foetus or infant. It includes an option to indicate if it is a still- or live birth; the birth weight; if it was a single birth or twins; if the death occurred before labour, during labour but before delivery, or before delivery but not known whether before or during labour – in other words if the death occurred antepartum, intrapartum or postpartum. You also have to indicate who the attendant was at birth. 

The cause of death information includes main and other causes of death in the foetus or infant, as well as main and other maternal conditions affecting the foetus or infant.  Diseases or conditions in the foetus or infant should be entered in sections (a) and (b), with the single most important condition that made the greatest contribution to the death of the foetus or infant reported in section (a). The mode of death - such as heart failure, asphyxia, prematurity, and others - should not be entered into section (a) unless it is the only foetal or infant condition known.

In Section (c) and (d) all conditions or diseases in the mother - that had an adverse effect on the foetus or infant  - should be entered, with the most important one entered into Section (c) and the others in Section (d). Section (e) is for the reporting of any circumstances that may have had a bearing on the death, but cannot be described as a condition of the foetus or infant or mother, such as delivery in the absence of an attendant.