title: Birth asphyxia and obstetric care in Curaçao Netherlands Antilles.
abstract: Out of the 223 fetal and neonatal deaths that occurred on the island of Curaçao in a 2-year period (1984-1985), 35 were due to birth asphyxia (15.7%). In order to evaluate the quality of obstetric care, the circumstances surrounding each asphyxiated death were scrutinized. On the whole, patients' compliance with antenatal care was satisfactory. However, when the woman presented in labor the attending physician or midwife often lacked information on maternal antecedents and the course of pregnancy. Inadequate intrapartum surveillance together with failure to respond appropriately to abnormalities in labor constituted the principle factors which were associated with asphyxiated deaths. In addition, asphyxial conditions during labor were often preceded by inappropriate administration of oxytocic agents.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Academic Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: H I
authors.initials: HI
authors.lastname: Wildschut
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Wiedijk
authors.forename: M T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Nolthenius-Puylaert
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001238:Asphyxia Neonatorum / Q000401:mortality*; D005260:Female; D005313:Fetal Death / Q000517:prevention & control; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007743:Labor, Obstetric / Q000187:drug effects; D008499:Medical Records; D009427:Netherlands Antilles; D010120:Oxytocics / Q000009:adverse effects; D011247:Pregnancy; D011295:Prenatal Care
chemical_list: D010120:Oxytocics