Factors associated with high risk of perinatal and neonatal mortality: an interim report on a prospective community‐based study in rural Sudan

Abstract

In a community-based prospective study, 6275 deliveries resulting in 6084 livebirths, 150 stillbirths (SB) and 167 neonatal deaths (NND) were monitored over a period of 3 years. The risk of an unfavourable outcome (SB or NND) in multiple pregnancies was more than ninefold that of singletons. Teenage mothers and those over 34 years of age ran nearly twice the risk of having an unfavourable outcome of pregnancy compared with mothers aged 20-29 years. First pregnancy and grand-multiparity (greater than eight previous pregnancies) carried a similar risk of an unfavourable outcome compared with mothers with 1-4 previous pregnancies. The most serious risk factor was the adverse outcome of the previous pregnancy. Compared with mothers whose last outcome had resulted in a livebirth surviving at least 30 days, mothers with a previous SB had seven times the risk (adjusted for age and parity) of SB and more than twice the risk of NND in the current pregnancy. Maternal illiteracy was associated with significantly higher risk of NND, and this rate decreased with increasing years of education. Frequency of antenatal visits had a marginally significant effect on the SB rate. Socioeconomic factors, diet and iron supplementation during pregnancy did not seem to affect the outcome.

Perinatal outcomes following Helping Babies Breathe training and regular peer–peer skills practice among village midwives in Sudan

“…Generally the only health providers in their remote communities, their duties include antenatal care, referral of high-risk pregnancies, home deliveries, postnatal care, registration of births and limited drug dispensation. In Sudan, the proportion of women delivered at home by VMWs remained unchanged at 80% between 2006 and 2010,1 2 3 while a 2010 national survey showed that first-month neonatal mortality remained static at 1990s levels of 41 per 1000 live births 4…”

Factors influencing neonatal mortality: an analysis using the Swaziland Demographic Health Survey 2007

“…Few studies have assessed how sociodemographic patterns are related to neonatal mortality in Africa. [11][12][13][14] Previous reviews of the causes of neonatal deaths have demonstrated that up to 70 per cent of neonatal mortality could be prevented using evidence-based interventions. To adopt a focused, evidence-based approach to reduce neonatal mortality in Swaziland, a clear understanding of the associated factors is necessary.…”

The differentials and determinants of perinatal mortality in rural Bangladesh

“…Weerasekera pointed out that prenatal care and socioeconomic factors may be more important to pregnancy outcome than maternal age 9 . Ibrahim and co-workers conducted a prospective study to determine the factors linked to perinatal and neonatal mortality in a rural community in Sudan 10 . Poor pregnancy outcome was more likely for teenage mothers and a first pregnancy.…”