Relative Risk Factors Analysis on Fetal Death in the Third Trimester

Abstract

Objective To study the relative risk factors of fetal death in the third trimester. Methods Between January 2005 to June 2007, fetal death in the third trimester among 9733 pregnant women who delivered in West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University were analyzed retrospectively. Results Among 9733 deliveries, 170 cases (17.47‰) had fetal death during third trimester(pregnant week≥28 weeks). Except for the cases of fetal congenital malformation, the correct fetal death incidence was 12.14‰ (118/9733). Among 170 cases with fetal death, 16.47%(28/170) were at or over 35 years old, 64.12% were in low socioeconomic status, 42.94%(73/170) had no or irregular prenatal care, and 35.88% felt abnormal fetal movement before fetal death occurred. Maternal factor (70.59%, 120/170) was the most important factor among causes of fetal death. The maternal complications were hypertensive disorders in pregnancy(30/170, 17.65%), intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy(18/170, 10.59%), premature rupture of membrane(17/170, 10.00%), gestational diabetes mellitus(16/170, 9.41%), and syphilis(2.94%) in turn. The other factors were fetal factors(88/170, 51.76%), cord factors(35/170, 20.59%) and placenta factors(23/17, 13.53%) in turn. Conclusion It is suggested that to intensify the surveillance by both doctors and pregnant women during the pregnancy and to deal with maternal and fetal complications in time which would reduce the fetal death incidence in the late pregnancy and improve the prenatal mortality. Key words: third trimester; fetal death; relative factor