title: Changing stillbirth rates: quality of care or quality of patients?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To explain the U-shaped curve of stillbirth rates (SBR) in Harare.
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective descriptive study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Greater Harare Maternity Unit
  
  
  METHODS
  A 15pc (approx.) sample of deliveries recorded in Labour Ward registers in 1979, 1984 and 1989.
  
  
  METHODS
  Stillbirth or livebirth.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Some changes over the three years (e.g. proportion of primipara) indicate that obstetric "riskiness" of the population changed in a way which could explain the changes in SBR.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  However SBR's of large babies (birth weight 2,500 g to 4,499 g) increased and decreased over the years implying that changes in quality of care may also have contributed to the changes in SBR.
authors.affiliation: Department of Paediatrics, Medical School, University of Zimbabwe, Avondale, Harare, Zimbabwe.
authors.forename: P J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Iliff
authors.forename: M M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Bonduelle
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Gupta
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D005313:Fetal Death / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D006786:Hospitals, Urban; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008427:Maternal Health Services / Q000592:standards*; D009775:Obstetrics and Gynecology Department, Hospital / Q000592:standards*; D011787:Quality of Health Care; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D015030:Zimbabwe / Q000453:epidemiology