| ORIGINAL ARTICLE |
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| Year : 2020 | Volume
: 19
| Issue : 4 | Page : 221-229 |
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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
 Source of Support: None, Conflict of Interest: None  | Check |
DOI: 10.4103/aam.aam_44_19
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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.
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