A descriptive clinical survey of 228 perinatal deaths at Korle Bu Teaching Hospital

Abstract

From 1st June to 3'" August 1997, the mothers of stillbirths and first week neonatal deaths that occurred at the Karle Bu Teaching Hospital Maternity Unit were surveyed. The aim was to determine the proportions of stillbirths in which the fetus died inutero before admission to the labour ward as well as those who died during labour on the' Korle Bu Teaching Hospital labour ward, the clinically diagnosed causes of perinatal deaths, the avoidable factors in the perinatal deaths and the responsibility for each avoidable factor. The proximate causes of the 228 perinatal deaths were mainly birth asphyxia; hypertensive diseases in pregnancy; respiratory distress syndrome; antepartum haemorrhage, and neonatal sepsis. Responsibility for the avoidable factors was assessed to lie with the labour wards (45.5%), the antenatal clinics (23.5%), and the patients and/or their relatives (18.2%). Early recognition and referral of high-risk pregnancies, motivation of staff at health institutions, and provision of more facilities to enable caesarean delivery to be performed without delay, would help to reduce the high perinatal mortality rates at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital.