[Risk factors for perinatal mortality in Pelotas, a southern city of Brazil, 1993].
BACKGROUND
Although there was a considerable reduction in infant mortality in Pelotas, Rio Grande do Sul in the last decade, its perinatal causes were reduced only by 28%. The associated factors of these causes were analysed.


METHODS
All hospital births and perinatal deaths were assessed by daily visits to all the maternity hospitals in the city, throughout 1993 and including the first week of 1994.


RESULTS
The perinatal mortality rate was 22.1 per thousand births. The multivariate analysis showed the following risk factors: low socioeconomic level, male sex and maternal age above 35 years. Among multigravidae women, the fetal mortality rate was significantly increased for mothers with a previously low birthweight and a previous stillbirth. For early neonatal mortality the risk was significantly increased by a smaller number of antenatal visits than 5 and low birthweight.


CONCLUSIONS
Main risk factors for perinatal mortality: low socioeconomic level, maternal age above 35 years and male sex. For early neonatal mortality the risk was significantly increased by a smaller number of antenatal visits than 5 and low birthweight.
Departamento de Clínica Médica, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal de Pelotas (FMUFPel), RS-Brasil. anamen@nutnet.com.br
A M
AM
Menezes
F C
FC
Barros
C G
CG
Victora
E
E
Tomasi
R
R
Halpern
A L
AL
Oliveira
D000328:Adult; D001724:Birth Weight; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D005313:Fetal Death / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D007226:Infant Mortality; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature; D008297:Male; D008423:Maternal Age; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D011247:Pregnancy; D018566:Pregnancy, High-Risk; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014505:Urban Population
Fatores de risco para mortalidade perinatal em Pelotas, RS, 1993.