The Frequency and Causes of Dispatching High-Risk Pregnant Mothers from the Medical Centers to the Delivery Department of Yazd Shahid Sadoughi Hospital in 2011– 2015

Background: Considering the increased frequency of high-risk pregnancies that require further care, most high-risk mothers are dispatched from medical centers to higher-level hospitals. Therefore, the present study aimed to determine the frequency and causes of dispatching high-risk pregnant mothers from the medical centers to the delivery department of Yazd Shahid Sadoughi Hospital in 2011 - 2015. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on all high-risk pregnant women who were dispatched to the delivery ward of Yazd Shahid Sadoughi hospital from the second half of 2011 to the first half of 2015. The sampling method was based on census. The required data were collected from the information of patients' profiles in hospital archives. The sample size was 179 people. In order to analyze the data, we used SPSS 20 and run descriptive statistical tests of frequency distribution. Results: The mean age of participants was 27.7 ± 2.0 years, most of them were housewife (96.4 %), pregnant for the first time (39.9 %), and preterm (88.7 %). Maternal and fetal causes of dispatch were 55.2 % and 44.8 %, respectively. The most common maternal cause was preeclampsia (24.0 %) and the most frequent fetal cause included preterm labor (21.8 %). Furthermore, 66.0 % of mothers were discharged after medical treatment. The frequency rates of caesarean section and normal delivery were 34.1 % and 22.9 %, respectively. Conclusion: The most common reasons for dispatch of mothers were lack of access to facilities, pre-eclampsia, and preterm labor. High-risk mothers should be educated to avoid pregnancy and have regular prenatal cares. The hospitals should be equipped with facilities such as baby-care beds. They also need to equip the high-risk pregnancy departments and employ professional staffs such as gynecologists and anesthesiologists. The mentioned factors can play an important role in reducing the transfers, protecting maternal and fetal health, and reducing the financial burden. &nbsp