Perinatal mortality in a Saudi maternity hospital

Abstract

Perinatal mortality was analyzed in infants to mothers who delivered at the main Maternity hospital in Riyadh and who represented a large proportion of the obstetric population in the city. The crude perinatal mortality rate was 39.8 per 1000 births. The birth weight-specific mortality rates were compared with the corresponding Swedish rates. The ratio between the birth weight-specific mortality rates in Riyadh and Sweden increased from the lightest to the heaviest birth weight category. Thus the perinatal mortality rate was 2.3 times higher in infants less than 1500 g, and 8.8 times higher in infants with birth weights of 3500 g and more. Similarly, the ratio between the gestational age-specific mortality rates in Riyadh and Sweden increased with advancing gestational age. The perinatal mortality rate of infants less than 28 weeks was 1.6 times higher, and that of term infants 4.8 times higher than in Sweden. The findings indicated shortcomings in the obstetric services. The perinatal mortality rate of teenage mothers, who comprised 17 percent of the material, was 9.1 times the Swedish rate. Other risk groups were para 0 mothers and mothers with a previous infant loss.

PIP: Physicians conducted a study of liveborn infants and dead fetuses of at least 28 gestational weeks at the Maternity and Children's Hospital in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia during a 12 month period. The perinatal mortality rate stood at 39.8/1000 which surpassed Sweden's by 4.7 times (p.01). 1.5% of Saudi infants weighed 2500g, while .9% of Swedish infants did. Saudi birth weight-specific mortality rates exceeded Swedish rates in all birth categories (p.01). Further, the ratio between the Saudi and Swedish mortality rates increased from 2.3 for birth weights 1500g to 8.8 for those = or 3500g (p.05). Gestational age-specific mortality rates in Riyadh were higher in all gestational age groups than rates in Sweden (p.05). The ratio between the 2 rates rose significantly from 1.6 or 28 weeks to 4.8 for term infants. For mothers 20 years old, the perinatal mortality rate was higher in Riyadh than in Sweden (ratio=9.1). Perinatal mortality was lowest in the 25-29 year age group in Riyadh (33.1/1000) and highest in those 20 years old (57.1/1000). The perinatal mortality rate was significantly higher in 1st birth order infants than those of 4th-6th birth order infants (p.01). The rate between 1st birth order infants in Riyadh was almost 9 times that in Sweden. Infants born to mothers whose birth interval was 25-36 months were less likely to die (19.3/1000) than those born 12 months or less after the last child (46.7/1000). 60% of the participants had a consanguineous marriage, but no significant differences existed between these marriages and nonconsanguineous marriages. Twice as many mothers of dead infants were nulliparous (p.01) and the rate of previous infant loss was 3 times higher among mothers to infants who died (p.01).