Analysis of perinatal mortality in a Nigerian teaching hospital

Abstract

A 5-year retrospective analysis of perinatal mortality was carried out at Wesley Guild Hospital, Ilesa Nigeria between January 1996 and December 2000. The perinatal mortality rate during the study period was 77.03 per 1000 total births. There was a steady increase in rate over the study period. The most common cause of perinatal death was asphyxia (55.2%), immaturity (23.1%), and macerated stillbirth (18.3%). The high incidence of unbooked patients, multiple pregnancies and low birth weight babies are the main reasons for the high perinatal mortality rates in our environment. Education of the public on danger signs of prolonged labour and regular retraining of health personnel on intrapartum care in addition to upgrading neonatal facilities are important measures necessary to reduce the currently high perinatal mortality rate in Nigeria.

Determinants of perinatal mortality in Nigeria

“…Where intrapartum fetal death accounts for most perinatal deaths, it indicates poor-quality intrapartum care. This finding is in keeping with observations of others [7,[15][16][17]. Access to various measures of obstetric care has been shown to influence stillbirth rates strongly [15].…”

“…Whereas the incidence of perinatal mortality in developed countries is low, a rising trend has been reported in Nigeria [7]. For example, recent studies in Nigeria have reported higher rates of perinatal mortality than found in the present study, including 77.03 per 1000 deliveries [7], 84.8 per 1000 [8], 133.94 per 1000 [9], and 86.3 per 1000 [18].…”

Risk factors for perinatal mortality: a case control study from Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India

“…15 Kuti O et al reports that the high incidence of multiple pregnancies and low birth weight babies are one of the main reasons for the high perinatal mortality rates in Nigeria. 20 Abu-Heija 21 in his study reported abruption as a leading cause of fetal death. 21 Similar observations were made by Duru Shah.…”

Current Trends in Perinatal Mortality in Developing Countries: Nigeria as a Case Study

“…A five year retrospective study at the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital, Enugu, south eastern Nigeria, between the periods of 1995 and the year 2000 (Adimora and Odetunde, 2007) revealed a perinatal mortality rate of 133.94 per 1,000 births, an unacceptably high rate while another study by Kuti et al (2003) at Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital, Ile-Ife, South-Western Nigeria, in the succeeding 5 year period between 1996 to 2000 reported a perinatal mortality rate of 77.03 per 1000 total births. This study also went on to report the causes of these deaths with asphyxia, accounting for 58% being the commonest cause.…”

“…These are the reasons why the under-five mortality rate declined by 22% between the five year period of 2003(NPC , 2008.…”