Stillbirths in a Nigerian Tertiary Hospital

To determine the causes and risk factors for stillbirths in a NigerianTertiaryHospital Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital,Nnewi,Nigeria A5-year retrospective study of stillbirths seen in the hospital, between January 1 2003 and December 31 2007. 116 out of 2751 deliveries recorded within the study period were stillbirths, giving an incidence of 42.2 per 1,000 deliveries. Majority of the patients were unbooked (75.9%), nulliparous (34.5%), of low socioeconomic class (70.7%), and belong to the age group 25-29 years (43.1%). The main causes of fetal death include severe pre-eclampsia (24.1%), abruptio placentae (19.0%), and uterine rupture (12.1%). No aetiological factor was identified in 11.2 percent and macerated stillbirth accounted for 55.2 percent. Sixty four deliveries (55.2%) were preterm and 39.7 percent of stillbirths weighed less than 1.5 kilogrammes. The study showed a high prevalence of stillbirths which was commoner among unbooked women from poor socioeconomic background. Improvement in the socioeconomic status of people, as well as accessing health care services of skilled birth attendants and emergency obstetric services will go a long way in reducing the perinatal mortality rate caused by stillbirths.NigerMed J.Vol. 49,No. 3, July. – Sept, 2008: 74 – 78Keywords: Stillbirths,TertiaryHospital, risk factor