Evaluation of maternal and perinatal mortality in Amachara general hospital, Umuahia south local Government Area (LGA), Abia State, Nigeria, 2014 – 2017

Abstract

Background: Maternal and perinatal deaths are clustered around delivery and the first 24 hours after birth respectively. Whilst most maternal and perinatal deaths are preventable, women and babies continue to die from these preventable causes. Specific objective: To evaluate maternal and perinatal mortality in Amachara General Hospital, Umuahia South, Abia State. Methods and materials: A retrospective 3-year study was conducted among 4870 mothers and 4834 live babies in Amachara General Hospital, Umuahia South LGA. Data were collected and coded into and analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Science, Version 26.0. Categorical variables were summarized using frequency and proportions, logistic regression models were used to determine association with maternal deaths. Chi-Square test was used to test association at p<0.05 & p<0.001. Result: Of the 4870 babies born at or after 28 weeks of gestation, 136 (2.8%) were stillbirths, maternal mortality ratio was 532.3 per 100,000 live births and perinatal mortality rate was 129.4 per 1000 births. Puerperal sepsis 86 (34.1%) and asphyxia related condition 220 (34.9%) were most common causes of maternal and perinatal deaths respectively. Mothers aged 35 years and older was one of the factors associated with increased risk of perinatal death, p-<0.05 & p<0.001. Conclusion: Maternal mortality ratio and perinatal mortality rate were still high in this study and still far from the Sustainable Development Goals 2030 target. Sepsis and HIV positive were most probable causes of maternal deaths. Asphyxia related conditions were the most common possible cause of perinatal mortality. Mothers aged 35 years and older and Apgar score < 6 at five minutes after delivery were associated with increased risk of perinatal mortality.