Abstract

PIP: This study was conducted at a rural medical college and aimed at analysis of the perinatal mortality and its determinants in a rural environment. 58 stillbirths and 62 early neonatal deaths among 1107 consecutive deliveries effected a perinatal mortality rate of 108.4/1000 deliveries. 50% of the total deliveries were unbooked. The perinatal mortality was higher in unbooked cases (16.3%), twins (33.2%), and preterm deliveries (33.9%) as compared to that in booked cases (5.3%), singletons (9.6%), and term deliveries (6.7%). 69% of the stillbirths were the result of obstructed labor, toxemia, antepartum hemorrhage, hand prolapse, and cord prolapse where timely intervention would have reduced the perinatal mortality significantly. Early neonatal deaths were mainly associated with prematurity and were due largely to birth anoxia, intraventricular hemorrhage, aspiration, and infections.