Incidence of Stillbirth in a Tertiary Medical College in North- Eastern India and its Associated Maternal and Foetal Factors

ABSTRACT

Background: Perinatal mortality still continues to be high in India. The most important reason is that 60% of perinatal deaths are constituted by stillbirths and reducing stillbirth rate has always been a challenge to obstetricians for decades. In order to reduce the stillbirth rate it is mandatory to ascertain the various determinants of it. Studies regarding this in the north-eastern part of India are almost non-existent. Objectives: The objectives of the current study were to estimate the magnitude of stillbirth and also to ascertain the association between stillbirth and maternal and foetal factors. Methods: A hospital-based prospective study was done in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology of RIMS, Imphal, Manipur in the year 2003. Data regarding socio-demographic backgrounds, detailed obstetric history, examination and investigative findings and pregnancy outcome was collected from 5,588 mothers who gave to 5,672 deliveries. Results: The stillbirth rate was found to be 17.6 per 1,000 births. The statistically significant determinants of stillbirth were rural residency, low educational level, age than 40 years, high parity, un-booked cases, anaemia, hypertension, high parity, twin delivery, presence of risk factors, breech delivery, preterm delivery and low birth weight. Conclusion: Stillbirth rate continues to be high in the north-eastern part of the country. And many of the determinants of stillbirth found out were preventable factors.