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Association between obstetric and medical risk factors and stillbirths in a low‐income urban setting
Author(s) -
Gwako George N.,
Obimbo Moses M.,
Gichangi Peter B.,
Kinuthia John,
Gachuno Onesmus W.,
Were Fredrick
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
international journal of gynecology and obstetrics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.895
H-Index - 97
eISSN - 1879-3479
pISSN - 0020-7292
DOI - 10.1002/ijgo.13528
Subject(s) - medicine , obstetrics , odds ratio , eclampsia , placenta previa , confidence interval , pregnancy , medical record , gestational diabetes , live birth , gestation , fetus , surgery , placenta , genetics , biology
Objective To evaluate the association between obstetric and medical risk factors and stillbirths in a Kenyan set‐up. Methods A case‐control study was conducted in four hospitals between August 2018 and April 2019. Two hundred and fourteen women with stillbirths and 428 with live births at more than >28 weeks of gestation were enrolled. Data collection was via interviews and abstraction from medical records. Outcome variables were stillbirth and live birth; exposure variables were sociodemographic characteristics, and medical and obstetric factors. The two‐sample t test and χ 2 test were used to compare continuous and categorical variables respectively. The association between the exposure and outcome variable was done using logistic regression. A P value less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results Stillbirth was associated with pre‐eclampsia without severe features (odds ratio [OR] 9.1, 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.6–32.5), pre‐eclampsia with severe features (OR 7.4, 95% CI 2.4–22.8); eclampsia (OR 9.2, 95% CI 2.6–32.5), placenta previa (OR 8.6 95% CI 2.8–25.9), placental abruption (OR 6.9 95% CI 2.2–21.3), preterm delivery(OR 9.5, 95% CI 5.7–16), and gestational diabetes mellitus, (OR 11.5, 95% CI 2.5–52.6). Stillbirth was not associated with multiparity, anemia, and HIV. Conclusion Proper antepartum care and surveillance to identify and manage medical and obstetric conditions with the potential to cause stillbirth are recommended.