A medical birth registry at kilimanjaro Christian Medical Centre

ABSTRACT

Objective: To establish a medical birth registry intended to serve clinical; administrative and research purposes. Methods: Starting in July 2000; every birth at Kilimanjaro Christian Medical Centre (KCMC) in Moshi; Tanzania has been recorded in a separate database. The information is obtained through personal interviews with each mother; conducted by specially trained midwives; and supplied with data from the medical records. A secretary enters the data into the electronic file. Data are collected about the mother and father education; occupation and living conditions; mother's health before and during present pregnancy; expected date of delivery; smoking and drinking (alcohol) habits; use of drugs; plus HIV and syphilis status (if known). This is followed by particulars on the delivery spontaneous or induced; and complications; the child or children weight; height and Apgar score; malformations and other diagnoses. Mode of birth spontaneous or operative intervention. If perinatal death when? Transfer to intensive neonatal unit? The mother's reproductive history (births; miscarriages; ectopic pregnancies) is also recorded; with outcomes. Results: We describe the process based on more than six years' experience; including obstacles and how they were overcome. The registry serves as a monitoring tool; with a set of key activities and events being issued monthly; indicating changes and trends in; e.g.; bleeding complications; caesarean section rates and perinatal mortality; as early warning signs. Monthly reports on key issues are presented. Confidentiality and data protection are key issues. Day-to-day recording of births is vulnerable to personnel shortage; whether from disease or holidays.Conclusions: Validation and quality checks leave the overall impression that the database is largely accurate and credible. There are plenty of opportunities for research. Clinicians and epidemiologists will profit