The study of mortality deals with the effects of death on population. Though the meanings of terms life and death are obvious, a scientific study of demographic processes calls for formal definitions.

The United Nations and the World Health Organisation have defined death as follows: “Death is the permanent disappearance of all evidence of life at any time after birth has taken place (post­natal cessation of vital functions without capacity of resuscitation).”A death can thus occur only after a live birth, and the span between birth and death is life.

The above definition of death does not include any death prior to a live birth, which has been defined by the United Nations as follows: “Live birth is the complete expulsion or extraction from its mother of a product of conception, irrespective of the duration of pregnancy.

Which, after such separation, breathes or shows any other evidence of life, such as beating of the heart, pulsation of the umbilical cord, or definite movement of voluntary muscles, whether or not the umbilical cord has been cut or the placenta is attached; each product of such a birth is considered live-born.”

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It is, therefore, evident that any death prior to a live birth is not considered as a death. Thus abortions and still births are referred to, not as deaths, but as foetal deaths.

Any expulsion of the foetus, either spontaneous or induced, which occurs before the foetus becomes viable, that, is capable of independent existence outside its mother, is known as an abortion.

When a birth does not have any of the characteristics included in either of these two definitions of live birth or abortion, it is known as a still birth.