The potential of midwives providing primary obstetric care to reduce perinatal deaths in a rural region.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the proportion of perinatal deaths that could be reduced by midwives providing primary obstetric services.


METHODS
The study was conducted in a rural region of the Eastern Cape, South Africa. The primary obstetric and final causes of perinatal deaths and avoidable factors related to these deaths were determined in a large town and two small towns.


RESULTS
In the three towns 52 (48.6%) of the 107 avoidable factors were related to medical care while 20 (38.5%) of these had the potential to be prevented at the level of care rendered by midwives. In the large town 21 (20.6%) of 102 and in the smaller towns 15 (24.6%) of 61 perinatal deaths had potential for intervention by midwives.


CONCLUSIONS
The 22.1% of perinatal deaths potentially preventable by midwives presupposes complete patient cooperation within an optimally functioning health system.
Theron
G B
GB
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Stellenbosch and Tygerberg Hospital, Tygerberg, South Africa.
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008427:Maternal Health Services; D008428:Maternal Mortality; D008880:Midwifery; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000517:prevention & control*; D012424:Rural Population; D013019:South Africa