Abstract
Background: Due to different social and physical environments across Africa, understanding how these environments differ in interacting with placental disorders will play an important role in developing effective interventions. Methods: A scoping review was conducted, to identify current knowledge on interactions between the physical and social environment and the incidence of placental disease in Africa. Results: Heavy metals were said to be harmful when environmental concentrations are beyond critical limits. Education level, maternal age, attendance of antenatal care and parity were the most investigated social determinants. Conclusions: More evidence is needed to determine the relationships between the environment and placental function in Africa. The results show that understanding the nature of the relationship between social determinants of health (SDH) and placental health outcomes plays a pivotal role in understanding the risk in the heterogenous communities in Africa.
Highlights
Complications arising from the ischaemic placental disorders [1] contribute to the high maternal and perinatal mortality and morbidity rates, stillbirth [2], observed in sub-Saharan Africa
The York methodology of Arksey and O’Malley, 2005, [13] was adopted as our intended aim was to provide a broader perspective on the existing literature surrounding the interactions between the environmental and socio-geographical factors related to placental health outcomes; these are low birth weight, pre-eclampsia, stillbirth, foetal growth restriction, IUGR and preterm birth
A total of eight articles investigated the effect of the physical environment, usually discussed where women live and how this may have led to adverse pregnancy events
Summary
Complications arising from the ischaemic placental disorders (i.e., pre-eclampsia, intrauterine growth restriction [IUGR], and placental abruption) [1] contribute to the high maternal and perinatal mortality and morbidity rates, stillbirth [2], observed in sub-Saharan Africa. About 75% of the global burden of stillbirths occurs in sub-Saharan Africa and south Asia, with 60% of these deaths occurring in rural areas [2]. These statistics speak to disparities in the incidence of placental disorders within and across countries and regions. Methods: A scoping review was conducted, to identify current knowledge on interactions between the physical and social environment and the incidence of placental disease in Africa. Conclusions: More evidence is needed to determine the relationships between the environment and placental function in Africa. The results show that understanding the nature of the relationship between social determinants of health (SDH)
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