Abstract
Most maternal and perinatal deaths could be prevented through timely access to skilled birth attendants. Women should access appropriate obstetric care during pregnancy, labor, and puerperium. Maternity waiting homes (MWHs) permit access to emergency obstetric care when labor starts. This study compared maternal and perinatal outcomes among MWH users and non-users through a retrospective cohort study. Data were collected through obstetric chart reviews and analyzed using STATA version 15. Of the 8144 deliveries reported between 2015 and 2019, 1305 women had high-risk pregnancies and were included in the study. MWH users had more spontaneous vaginal deliveries compared to non-users (38.6% versus 16.8%) and less cesarean sections (57.7% versus 76.7%). Maternal morbidities such as postpartum hemorrhage occurred less frequently among users than non-users (2.13% versus 5.64%). Four women died among non-users while there was no death among users. Non-users had more stillbirths than users (7.68% versus 0.91%). The MWH may have contributed to the observed differences in outcomes. However, many women with high risk pregnancies did not use the MWH, indicating a probable gap in awareness, usefulness, or their inability to stay due to other responsibilities at home. Use of MWHs at scale could improve maternal and perinatal outcomes in Rwanda.
Highlights
295,000 maternal deaths and 2.6 million stillbirths were estimated to have occurred in 2017, and the majority of these could have been prevented through timely access to skilled birth attendants [1,2,3]
Based on the admission criteria for the Maternity waiting homes (MWHs) that were set by the hospital, results showed that there were many women who qualified to stay at the MWH but never did, but came to the hospital when they were going to deliver instead
The main indication for staying in the MWH for those who used it, and among women who met the criteria for admission to the MWH but did not use it, was previous caesarian section (CS) (Table 1)
Summary
295,000 maternal deaths and 2.6 million stillbirths were estimated to have occurred in 2017, and the majority of these could have been prevented through timely access to skilled birth attendants [1,2,3]. The most common causes of maternal death are postpartum hemorrhage (PPH), obstructed labor, puerperal sepsis, eclampsia, and unsafe abortion [10,11]. Of these cases, more than 60% were a result of suboptimal care [11]. More than 60% were a result of suboptimal care [11] These maternal deaths could have been prevented with provision of quality
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callMore From: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
