ORIGINAL ARTICLE
Year : 2020 | Volume
: 19 | Issue : 4 | Page : 221--229
The trend and characteristics of stillbirth delivery in a university teaching hospital in Lagos, Nigeria
Adeyemi Adebola Okunowo1, Shakirat Tinuola Smith-Okonu2
1 Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, College of Medicine, University of Lagos/Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Lagos, Nigeria
2 Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Lagos, Nigeria
Correspondence Address:
Dr. Adeyemi Adebola Okunowo
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, College of Medicine, University of Lagos/Lagos University Teaching Hospital, PMB 12003, Lagos
Nigeria
Background: The burden of stillbirth is so huge in sub-Saharan Africa, especially in Nigeria where many mothers and mothers-to-be are denied the joy of motherhood. Despite the frequent occurrence of this obstetric problem in our environment, little priority is placed on it. Objectives: The study aims to bring to the fore, the burden, trend, and characteristics of stillbirth delivery in Lagos, Nigeria. Subjects and Methods: This was a 5-year descriptive retrospective study of the case records of women who had stillbirth delivery at Lagos University Teaching Hospital from January 2009 to December 2013. Relevant information was obtained using a study pro forma, and data analysis was carried out using SPSS version 20.0. Results: The prevalence of stillbirth was 6.2%, and the rate was 61.8/1000 total births. Women who did not book for antenatal care accounted for 76.2% of the cases, and the antenatal and intrapartum stillbirths accounted for 64.6% and 35.4%, respectively. The mean gestational age was 35.5 ± 1.2 weeks, while the mean birth weight was 2.9 ± 1.0 kg. Majority of the stillbirths were male fetuses (54.5%). Previous history of stillbirth (36.0%), hypertensive disorders in pregnancy (33.0%), placental abruption (28.8%), intrauterine growth restriction (13.0%), and ruptured uterus (11.3%) were the common clinical risk factors identified. Conclusion: The burden of stillbirth is high in our environment, and majority is due to preventable or manageable obstetric conditions. There is a need to encourage early referral of complicated pregnancies and labor to specialized centers that can cater for them, so as to avoid unnecessary and preventable deaths.
How to cite this article:
Okunowo AA, Smith-Okonu ST. The trend and characteristics of stillbirth delivery in a university teaching hospital in Lagos, Nigeria.Ann Afr Med 2020;19:221-229
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How to cite this URL:
Okunowo AA, Smith-Okonu ST. The trend and characteristics of stillbirth delivery in a university teaching hospital in Lagos, Nigeria. Ann Afr Med [serial online] 2020 [cited 2023 Mar 25 ];19:221-229
Available from: https://www.annalsafrmed.org/article.asp?issn=1596-3519;year=2020;volume=19;issue=4;spage=221;epage=229;aulast=Okunowo;type=0 |
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