Post-war changes in the outcome of pregnancy in Maternity Hospital, Kuwait.
To analyse the pre- and post-Gulf War changes in the outcome of pregnancy and to explore the possible causes that could have affected these changes, a retrospective analysis of medical records of patients delivering in Maternity Hospital Kuwait (MHK) was carried out for the period 1987-89 (pre-Gulf-War) and 1992 (post-Gulf War). The records of 1991 were used when adequate information was available. The normal z test was used to assess the significance between two proportions. There is a significant rise in abortion, low birth weight babies, triplet pregnancies, and major congenital anomalies in the post-war period. The still-birth rate, early neonatal mortality rate and perinatal mortality rate significantly increased in the immediate post-war period in 1991, but decreased to levels below the pre-war period in 1992. It should be investigated whether these changes are secondary to the changes in the population structure; the effects of war in terms of deterioration of health care services; environmental pollution caused by oil well fires, oil spills; or the psychological trauma, anxiety and stress caused by the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait.
Makhseed
M
M
Department of Obstetrics and Gynacology, Faculty of Medicine, Kuwait University.
el-Tomi
N
N
Moussa
M A
MA
Musini
V M
VM
D005260:Female; D005313:Fetal Death / Q000453:epidemiology; D006771:Hospitals, Maternity / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007730:Kuwait / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014857:Warfare