Foetal Autopsy: A Cross-sectional Study of 41 Cases at a Tertiary Care Centre in Kuppam, Andhra Pradesh, India

Abstract

Introduction: Perinatal mortality includes both late foetal deaths and early neonatal deaths. The perinatal mortality rate in India was 23/1000 live births for the year 2016, with congenital anomalies being the major cause of perinatal mortality. Thus, foetal autopsy plays an important role in identifying various types of congenital anomalies, determining the cause of foetal death, and thereby helping in counselling the parents. Aim: To identify various causes of foetal death and determine the most prevalent cause of foetal death. Materials and Methods: The present cross-sectional study was conducted in the Department of Pathology, PES Institute of Medical Sciences and Research (rural tertiary care referral Institute), Kuppam, Andhra Pradesh, India, from January 2018 to December 2022. Autopsies were performed according to a standard protocol and categorised using the Cunningham and Hollier classification. The data were entered into Microsoft (MS) Excel 2007 and further analysed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) software version 26.0. Results: The maternal age ranged from 19-36 years with a mean±Standard Deviation (SD) of 24.1±3.37 years. Out of the 41 cases, 29 (70.73%) cases were terminated, and 12 (29.26%) cases had intrauterine foetal death. The majority of cases were in the second trimester, with 37 (90.24%) cases, followed by 4 (9.75%) cases in the third trimester. Foetal causes constituted the majority of cases, 23 (56.09%), followed by placental causes, 12 (29.26%) and maternal causes, 6 (14.63%). Conclusion: The present study concluded that congenital anomalies constituted the most prevalent cause of foetal death, with central nervous system anomalies being the most common. This information helps clinicians in early intervention and counselling parents to avoid similar outcomes in subsequent pregnancies.