Nebraska Revised Statute 71-3405

Chapter 71

71-3405.

Terms, defined.

For purposes of the Child and Maternal Death Review Act:

(1) Child means a person from birth to eighteen years of age;

(2) Investigation of child death means a review of existing records and other information regarding the child or stillbirth from relevant agencies, professionals, and providers of medical, dental, prenatal, and mental health care. The records to be reviewed may include, but not be limited to, medical records, coroner's reports, autopsy reports, social services records, records of alternative response cases under alternative response implemented in accordance with sections 28-710.01, 28-712, and 28-712.01, educational records, emergency and paramedic records, and law enforcement reports;

(3) Investigation of maternal death means a review of existing records and other information regarding the woman from relevant agencies, professionals, and providers of medical, dental, prenatal, and mental health care. The records to be reviewed may include, but not be limited to, medical records, coroner's reports, autopsy reports, social services records, educational records, emergency and paramedic records, and law enforcement reports;

(4) Maternal death means the death of a woman during pregnancy or the death of a postpartum woman;

(5) Postpartum woman means a woman during the period of time beginning when the woman ceases to be pregnant and ending one year after the woman ceases to be pregnant;

(6) Preventable child death means the death of any child or stillbirth which reasonable medical, social, legal, psychological, or educational intervention may have prevented. Preventable child death includes, but is not limited to, the death of a child or stillbirth resulting from (a) intentional and unintentional injuries, (b) medical misadventures, including untoward results, malpractice, and foreseeable complications, (c) lack of access to medical care, (d) neglect and reckless conduct, including failure to supervise and failure to seek medical care for various reasons, and (e) preventable premature birth;

(7) Preventable maternal death means the death of a pregnant or postpartum woman when there was at least some chance of the death being averted by one or more reasonable changes to (a) the patient, (b) the patient's family, (c) the health care provider, facility, or system, or (d) community factors;

(8) Reasonable means taking into consideration the condition, circumstances, and resources available;

(9) Severe maternal morbidity means the unexpected outcomes of labor and delivery resulting in significant short- or long-term consequences to a woman's health;

(10) Stillbirth means a spontaneous fetal death which resulted in a fetal death certificate pursuant to section 71-606; and

(11) Teams means the State Child Death Review Team and the State Maternal Death Review Team.