The effect of life threatening conditions of women on perinatal outcome

Review

Simsek Arife, Uludag Seyfettin, Benian Ali, Tuten Abdullah, Oncul Mahmut, Acikgoz S. Abdullah

Istanbul University, Cerrahpasa School of Medicine, Department of Obstetric and Gynecology, Istanbul, Turkey

Correspondence: Arife Simsek, Phone: +90 536 4764197, E – mail: draksimsek@yahoo.com.tr


Abstract

Introduction: The aim of this study is to evaluate the differences in perinatal – neonatal -postneonatal deaths according to the life threatining conditions of women. Material and Methods: A retrospective study was made of records of 14.968 pregnancies. Antenatal, neonatal, postneonatal deaths were recorded. Causes of perinatal–neonatal- postneonatal deaths were examined in accordance with the Tulip classification. Maternal deaths and maternal near-miss cases were detected according to the World Health Organization/International Classification of Diseases -10 definitions. Results: Women had life thretining conditions in 60 of 583 perinatal-neonatal-postneonatal deaths. Frequencies of still birth, perinatal deaths, neonatal deaths and post neonatal deaths in women with life threatening conditions were 14.6%, 22.3%, 8% and 0.38%, respectively, whereas in women without life threatening conditions were 1.68%, 3.1%, 1.7%, 0.16%. There was a significant difference between women with and without life threatening conditions in respect to the parity (p: 0.009), the presence of a bad obstetric history (p: 0.014), the presence of a systemic disease (p: 0.001), the number of fetuses in utero (p: 0.024), the types of delivery (p: 0.000), premature birth (p: 0.028), causes of deaths (p: 0.000), and the presence ofasphyxia (p: 0.001). Conclusions: Measures to be taken in preventing severe maternal complications will also reduce adverse perinatal and neonatal outcomes.

Keywords: maternal mortality, maternal near-miss, neonatal mortality, perinatal outcome

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