title: Perinatal autopsies in a tertiary health facility in Southwestern Nigeria: a retrospective evaluation of 14 consecutive cases.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Perinatal autopsy remains a valuable tool in perinatal medicine. It provides an insight into the genetic implications of subsequent pregnancies and also helps reduce parental events such as maternal illness or maternal use of medications. The practice is not popularly acceptable in our environment for socio-cultural reasons. The scarcity of pathologists who are interested in this aspect of pathology is also an issue. No wonder, the literature is scanty on the cases of perinatal autopsy reported in our environment.
  
  
  METHODS
  This was a retrospective review of patients' medical and autopsy records to measure the perinatal autopsy rate at a tertiary health institution and identify the trends over the last 12 months (January 1, 2010 and December 31, 2010). This study also aim examining any discordance between antemortem diagnoses and postmortem diagnoses.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of 263 perinatal deaths, autopsies were requested and performed in 14 of the cases representing a perinatal autopsy rate of 5.3%. New information was obtained in 64.3% of the cases. The birth weights of the infants ranged from 500g to 3600g with their gestational ages ranged from 22 weeks to 41 weeks.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study is a preliminary report that serves principally to provide base line data for the ongoing study.
authors: G O
authors: GO
authors: Omoniyi-Esan
authors: A E
authors: AE
authors: Omonisi
authors: B
authors: B
authors: Bakare
authors: O
authors: O
authors: Kuti
authors: E
authors: E
authors: Adejuyigbe
mesh_terms: D001344:Autopsy / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D002423:Cause of Death; D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007232:Infant, Newborn, Diseases / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D009549:Nigeria; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D063128:Tertiary Health Care