title: Socio-demographic characteristics and risk factors of ante-partum fetal death in a tertiary care hospital in Dhaka City.
abstract: The objectives of this study were to assess the socio-demographic profile and to identify the risk factors of ante-partum fetal death which occurs after the age of viability of fetus. This prospective observational study was conducted in the Obstetrics and Gynaecology department of Ad-din Women Medical College Hospital from June 2009 to July 2010. A total of 14,015 pregnant patients were admitted in the study place after the age of viability, which was taken as 28 weeks of gestation for our facilities. Eighty-three (0.59%) of them were identified as intrauterine fetal death. Assessment of maternal socio-demographic characteristics and maternal-fetal risk factors were evaluated with a semi structured questionnaire which was pre-tested before executing in this study. Majority (81.92%, n=68) of the patients were below 30 years of age, 78.31% belonged to middle socioeconomic group. Almost 58% women had education below secondary school certificate (SSC) level and 28.91% took regular antenatal checkup. About 61.45% patients were multi-gravida. Most (59.04%) ante-partum deaths were identified below 32 weeks of pregnancy. Out of 83 patients, maternal risk factors were identified in 41(49.59%) cases where fetal risk factors were found in 16(19.27%) cases; no risk factors could be determined in rests. Hypertension (48.78%), diabetes (21.95%), hyperpyrexia (17.3%), abruptio placentae (4.88%) and UTI (7.36%) were identified as maternal factors; and congenital anomaly (37.5%), Rh incompatibility (37.5%), multiple pregnancy (12.5%) and post-maturity (12.5%) were the fetal risk factors. Here, proximal biological risk factors are most important in ante-partum fetal deaths. More investigations and facilities are needed to explain the causes of ante-partum deaths.
authors.affiliation: Professor AKM Anowar-ul Azim, Professor and Director, Department of Gynaecology and Obstetrics, Ad-din Women Medical College Hospital, Moghbazaar, Dhaka, Bangladesh.
authors.forename: A K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Azim
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Sultana
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Chowdhury
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Azim
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001459:Bangladesh / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D005313:Fetal Death / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D006801:Humans; D011247:Pregnancy; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D062606:Tertiary Care Centers