[Can clinical risk factors for perinatal mortality in West Africa be detected during antenatal care or during labor?].
BACKGROUND
Perinatal mortality (PNM) is a public health problem in West Africa. Aims. To evaluate the rate of PNM in 6 countries of West Africa, to identify clinical risk factors for PNM, to quantify the relative contribution of antenatal care and labor survey in the detection of these risk factors.


METHODS
The MOMA study was a prospective population-based study that collected data about 20326 pregnant women in various, primarily urban, areas of Burkina-Faso, Ivory-Coast, Mali, Mauritania, Niger and Senegal. The present report analyses 19.870 singleton births and 31 simple clinical variables.


RESULTS
The mean PNM ratio was 42 per 1000 total births. In the crude analysis, after adjustment or taking prevalence into account, the principal risk factors were: immediately antenatal and intrapartum vaginal bleeding, labor hypertension, dystocia and infection.


CONCLUSIONS
The PNM are very high in West Africa. The principal risk factors for PNM can be detected only during labor.
Chalumeau
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Inserm Unité 149, Unité de Recherches Epidémiologiques en Santé Périnatale et Santé des Femmes, 123, boulevard de Port-Royal, 75014 Paris, France.
D000354:Africa, Western / Q000453:epidemiology; D004420:Dystocia / Q000150:complications; D005260:Female; D005323:Fetal Monitoring; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000150:complications; D007226:Infant Mortality; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007239:Infections / Q000150:complications; D007743:Labor, Obstetric; D007744:Obstetric Labor Complications; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications; D011295:Prenatal Care; D012307:Risk Factors; D014592:Uterine Hemorrhage / Q000150:complications