Low body mass index, anaemia and poor perinatal outcome in a rural hospital in eastern Sudan.
BACKGROUND
The first step in improving early neonatal survival is to document rate of these deaths, identify the common causes.


OBJECTIVE
the study was conducted at New Halfa hospital, eastern Sudan to investigate the prevalence and possible risk factors for a poor perinatal outcome, mainly low birth weight (LBW), APGAR score <5 at 1 min, fetal anaemia and perinatal mortality.


RESULTS
LBW occurred in 15.3%, the perinatal death was 9.2%. Maternal low body mass index (BMI) was significantly associated with LBW (OR = 1.8, 95% CI = 1.0-3.2; p = 0.02), which was a risk factor for APGAR score <5 at 1 min (OR = 11.5, 95% CI = 5.9-22.5; p < 0.001) and perinatal mortality (OR = 6.5, 95% CI = 2.9-14.8, p < 0.00001). Maternal anaemia was a risk factor for fetal anaemia (OR = 2.1, 95% CI = 1.4-3.1; p < 0.001).


CONCLUSIONS
More attention to maternal nutrition and in an attempt to prevent anaemia may lead to improvement in the perinatal outcome.
D000328:Adult; D000740:Anemia / Q000209:etiology* / Q000401:mortality; D001034:Apgar Score; D015992:Body Mass Index; D005260:Female; D005313:Fetal Death; D006801:Humans; D007230:Infant, Low Birth Weight; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000401:mortality*; D012307:Risk Factors; D012423:Rural Health; D013397:Sudan / Q000453:epidemiology