Perinatal mortality at Al-Corniche hospital Abu Dhabi 1988 to 1992

ABSTRACT

A survey of 525 perinatal deaths occuring amongst 43,356 births between the years 1988 to 1992 at Al Corniche Hospital, Abu Dhabi revealed a perinatal mortality rate [PMR] of 12.11/1000 total births, still birth rate of 7.12/1000 total births and early neonatal death rate of 4.55/1000 live births. Lethal malformations accounted for 178 [33.9%] deaths. Of the remaining 347 normally formed infants, 194 [55.9%] died antenatally, 21 [6.05%] died intrapartally and 132 [38.07%] died in the neonatal period. One hundred and ten [20.95%] of the perinatal deaths weighed < 1000 gms. Of the 216 neonatal deaths, 172 [79.62%] occurred within 24 hours of delivery, mostly because of congenital abnormalities incompatible with life, and prematurity. The Aberdeen Classification showed 16.02% of the mothers had pregnancy complications. Besides social, biological and geographical factors, the other main contributors to perinatal mortality among the normally formed infants were low birth weight in 148 [42.65%], normal birth weight [unexplained] 69 [19.88%], antepartum haemorrhage 32 [7.22%], preeclampsia, eclampsia and PIH 51 [14.6%], maternal disease 28 [8.0%], mechanical factors 17 [4.8%] and haemolytic disease 2 [0.5%]