Obstetric morbidity and socio-demographic factors in rural West Bengal, India

Abstract

The impact of selected socio-demographic factors on reported obstetric morbidity during antepartum and postpartum periods was studied through a cross-sectional retrospective survey carried out in rural areas of three districts of West Bengal, India. During their most recent live births, 56.6% of mothers reported at least one morbid condition. Mothers with higher levels of education reported fewer overall problems. Factors such as age and pregnancy order affect obstetric morbidity differently in different religious groups. More mothers reported postpartum than antepartum problems, and very few sought treatment. The present study provides an insight into various factors affecting obstetric morbidity in a developing country.

Structural equation modeling on the relationship between maternal characteristics and pregnancy complications: A study based on National Family Health Survey

“…In general terms, it may be expected that rural, less educated, lower caste women from households of low economic status experienced more problems during their last pregnancy because of limited access to health care, low knowledge regarding complications and low health status prior to conception. A previous study found similar results in that religion, level of education and economic status were important parameters determining the prevalence of maternal complications in the study population 12 …”

“…Maternal mortality has declined during the last decade, and yet the proportion of maternal complications has been increasing 35 . This may be due to various sociodemographic, economic and health system‐related factors affecting these complications directly or indirectly 12,21,22,35,36 . In this study, we explored the exogenous effects of these factors on maternal complications, that is, the latent constructs.…”

“…Previous studies based on maternal complications and socioeconomic factors have shown that the extent of complications increases with women's age and birth order and decreases with increase in the standard of living and education. Other studies have shown that more mothers report postpartum than antepartum problems, and very few seek treatment for those problems 11,12 . A research by Souza et al .…”

“…Other studies have shown that more mothers report postpartum than antepartum problems, and very few seek treatment for those problems. 11,12 A research by Souza et al (2010) indicates that being older than 35 years, not having a partner, being a primipara and having had a caesarean section in the previous pregnancy were factors independently associated with the occurrence of severe maternal complications. 13 Another study reported that death due to eclampsia commonly occurred in the younger age group of 19-24 years, that primigravida and eclampsia related deaths were mostly seen in illiterate and unlooked cases, 14 and that the majority of eclampsia deaths occurred in patients who had not received proper antenatal care.…”

The differentials and determinants of perinatal mortality in rural Bangladesh

“…Kishan and co-workers observed that timely antenatal care was the essential component in the reduction of perinatal loss 16 . Mukhopadhyay and associates observed, in a recent study for West Bengal, that at least one morbid condition was reported by 56.6% of mothers during antepartum and postpartum periods in their most recent live birth 17 . Mothers with higher levels of education reported fewer overall problems.…”