Repeated pregnancy in a woman with uterine prolapse from a rural area in Nepal

Abstract

Pelvic organ prolapse is common in rural women in Nepal. Pregnancy in a woman with pelvic organ prolapse is uncommon and rarely continues beyond the second trimester. If it proceeds after that, the uterus usually ascends with progression of pregnancy and becomes abdominal, leaving little trace of prolapse. Pregnancy continuing to term with uterine prolapse is very rare. The case reported here is of a pregnant woman from a remote district in Nepal who had nine pregnancies and at 38 weeks of pregnancy presented at the district hospital with severe uterine prolapse, a large cervical ulcer and the baby's foot protruding from the cervix. Air transport was the only means of reaching the nearest hospital with emergency obstetric care, 200km away. The baby was delivered stillborn at the airport by the auxiliary nurse-midwife who accompanied her. Her husband was counselled for and had a vasectomy. The woman was fitted with a ring pessary but could not afford to go to the nearest town for surgery for the prolapse. People in remote areas of Nepal often seek medical advice very late. This and the lack of education, low utilisation of family planning services, and lack of skilled birth attendance and safe delivery centres at local level contribute to high maternal morbidity and mortality.