Background: Evidence on the economic burden of stillbirth is limited. In this systematic review, we aimed to identify studies focusing on the economic burden of stillbirth, describe the methods used, and summarize the findings.
Method: We performed a systematic search in Medline, EMBASE, Cochrane library, and EconLit from inception to July 2021. Original studies reporting the cost of illness, economic burden, or health care expenditures related to stillbirth were included. Two reviewers independently extracted data and evaluated study quality using the Larg and Moss checklist. A narrative synthesis was performed. Costs were presented in US dollars (US$) in 2020.
Results: From the 602 records identified, a total of four studies were included. Eligible studies were from high-income countries. Only one study estimated both direct and indirect costs. Among three cost-of-illness studies, two studies undertook a prevalence-based approach. The quality of these studies varied and was substantially under-reported. Four studies describing direct costs ranged from $6934 to $9220 per stillbirth. Indirect costs account for around 97% of overall costs. No studies have incorporated intangible cost components.
Conclusions: The economic burden of stillbirth has been underestimated and not extensively studied. There are no data on the cost of stillbirth from countries that bear a higher burden of stillbirth. Extensive variation in methodologies and cost components was observed in the studies reviewed. Future research should incorporate all costs, including intangible costs, to provide a comprehensive picture of the true economic impact of stillbirth on society.
Keywords: cost; cost-of-illness; economic burden; stillbirth; systematic review.
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