Abstract
A comparative study of perinatal mortality patterns over a period was conducted at a teaching hospital of South India. Among the 6,048 babies born from January 1984 to December 1985 (Group A), there were 265 (43.8/1000) still births and 127 (22.0/1000) early neonatal deaths. Three hundred and thirty seven (41/1000) babies were still born and 235 (29.8/1000) early neonatal deaths out of 8,215 deliveries during 1992–93 (Group B). The perinatal mortality rate (PMR) in Group A and B were 57.9/1000 and 57.7/1000 respectively. Unbooked cases accounted for the majority (> 75%) of perinatal deaths during both the periods. The overall mortality rates in unbooked cases were three to four times higher than booked cases. Among the various causes of still births, antepartum haemorrhage and uterine rupture had increased. Septicaemia was the major cause of early neonatal deaths in Group A, but in Group B birth asphyxia and prematurity were the leading causes. Effective interventions like creating awareness among the target population to utilise maternal and child health services and early referral of high risk cases with improved intranatal and perinatal care can decrease the perinatal mortality.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Edouard L.World Health Statist Quart 1985; 38: 289.
Verma IC. Estimating the preventable proportion of perinatal mortality.Indian J Pediatr 1986; 53: 323–325.
Mir NA. Regionalisation of perinatal care and its effect on perinatal mortality.Ind J Ped 1986; 53: 335–338.
Gupta PK, Gupta AP. Perinatal mortality.Indian Pediatr 1985; 22: 201–205.
Jadhav MA, Christopher LG. Perinatal mortality in Vellore, Part-I: A study of 21, 585 infants.Indian J Pediatr 1986; 53: 347–352.
Chopra J, Maguntha Rao N, Indira Cet al. Role of congenital anomalies in perinatal mortality.J Obst Gynecol India 1982; 32: 27–30.
Rao B. Obstetrician and maternal and child health care in India.J Obst Gynecol India 1978; 28: 196–203.
Bhattacharya PK, Purkayastha S, Ray UK, Mondal RN. Perinatal mortality in caesarian births (A ten year review from a teaching hospital).J Obst Gynecol India 1992; 42: 192–196.
Forfar JO. Demography, vital statistics and the pattern of disease in childhood. In: Campbell AGM, Neil McIntosh, ed.Forfar and Arneil’s Textbook of Pediatrics, 4th ed., ELBS, London: Churchill Livingstone, 1992: 3.
Stanley FJ, Watson L. Trends in perinatal mortality and cerebral palsy in Western Australia 1967 to 1985.BMJ 1992; 304: 1658–1663.
Dawodu AH, Al Umran K, Al Faraidy A. Neonatal vital statistics: a 5 year review in Saudi Arabia.Ann Trop Pediatr 1988; 8: 187–192.
Muylder DX. Perinatal mortality audit in a Zimbabwean district.Pediatric and Perinatal Epidemiology 1989; 3: 284–293.
Njokanma OF, Sule Odu AO, Akesode FA. Perinatal mortality at the Ogun State University Teaching Hospital, Sagamu, Nigeria.J Trop Pediatr 1994; 40: 78–81.
Mendi Z, Naidu PM, Gopalrao V. Incidence and causes of perinatal mortality in Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh.Indian J Med Res 1961; 49: 897–936.
Bhandai B, Mandowara SL. Perinatal mortality in south-east Rajasthan.Indian Pediatr 1983; 20: 592–602.
Agarwal VK, Gupta SC, Roy Choudhary Set al. Some observation on perinatal mortality.Indian Pediatr 1982; 19: 233–238.
Singh M, Khare VN, Bhargava SK. A study of perinatal mortality at Safdarjung Hospital, New Delhi.J Obst Gynecol India 1982; 32: 384–389.
Fauveau Vet al. The effect of maternal and child health and family planning services on mortality: Is prevention enough?.BMJ 1990; 14: 301: 103–107.
Iliff PJ, Kenyon N. Perinatal statistics in Harare 1980–1989.Central African Journal of Medicine 1991; 37: 133–136.
Akinla O. The influence of maternal and child health services on maternal and perinatal mortality. The Finnish example.Nig Med J 1976; 6: 437–445.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Kumar, M.R., Bhat, B.V. & Oumachigui, A. Perinatal mortality trends in a referral hospital. Indian J Pediatr 63, 357–361 (1996). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02751528
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02751528