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. 2021 Jul 22:2021:8033248.
doi: 10.1155/2021/8033248. eCollection 2021.

Association of Stillbirths with Maternal and Fetal Risk Factors in a Tertiary Care Hospital in South India

Rajshekher V Mali  1 , Anita Dalal  1 , Romana Khursheed  1 , Aditya Gan  1
Affiliations

Association of Stillbirths with Maternal and Fetal Risk Factors in a Tertiary Care Hospital in South India

Rajshekher V Mali et al. Obstet Gynecol Int. .

Abstract

Background: Birth of a fetus with no signs of life after a predefined age of viability is a nightmare for the obstetrician. Stillbirth is a sensitive indicator of maternal care during the antepartum and intrapartum period. Though there has been a renewed global focus on stillbirth as a public health concern, the decline in stillbirth rate (SBR) has not been satisfactory across the nations, with a large number of stillbirths occurring in the low- to middle-income countries (LMICs). Hence, the study was carried out to analyze maternal and fetal risk factors and their association with stillbirths in a tertiary care center in South India.

Methods: This observational prospective study included pregnant women with stillbirth beyond 20 weeks of gestation or fetal weight more than 500 grams. Stillbirths were classified according to the simplified causes of death and associated conditions (CODAC) classification. Association between the risk factor and stillbirths was calculated with chi-square test and odds ratio with 95% confidence interval.

Results: There were 171 stillbirths (2.97%) among total 5755 births. The SBR was 29.71/1000 births. Risk factors such as preterm delivery (OR: 22.33, 95% CI: 15.35-32.50), anemia (OR: 21.87, 95% CI: 15.69-30.48), congenital malformation (OR: 11.24, 95% CI: 6.99-18.06), abruption (OR: 10.14, 95% CI: 6.43-15.97), oligohydramnios (OR: 4.88, 95% CI: 3.23-7.39), and hypertensive disorder (OR: 3.01, 95% CI: 2.03-4.46) were significantly associated with stillbirths. The proportion of intrapartum stillbirths was found to be 5 (3%) among the study population.

Conclusion: Highest prevalent risk factors associated with stillbirth are anemia and prematurity. Intrapartum stillbirths can be reduced significantly through evidence-based clinical interventions and practices in resource-poor settings. There is a need to provide and assure access to specialized quality antenatal care to pregnant women to control the risk factors associated with stillbirths.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Number of stillbirths at different gestational ages.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Proportion of stillbirths in the antepartum and intrapartum period.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Birth weight (in grams) distribution in stillbirths.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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