Low autopsy acceptance after stillbirth in a disadvantaged French district: a mixed methods study

In this study, we aimed to describe the autopsy acceptance rate and to understand the factors associated with declining an autopsy after stillbirth in a disadvantaged French district with a high migrant population. Between 1992 and 2015, the costs of autopsies for fetal and neonatal deaths in this district were completely covered by the local council (Conseil Général) and there was therefore no financial burden associated with an autopsy for families or for hospitals. We used a mixed-method approach using data from medical records and interviews with women experiencing a stillbirth collected as part of a population-based audit in the district in 2014.