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Birth asphyxia and obstetric care in Curaçao Netherlands Antilles
Author(s) -
Wildschut H.I.J.,
Wiedijk V.,
Tutein NoltheniusPuylaert M.
Publication year - 1990
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 - 10.1016/0020-7292(90)90475-z
Subject(s) - medicine , asphyxia , obstetrics , pregnancy , emergency medicine , biology , genetics
Out of the 223 fetal and neonatal deaths that occurred on the island of Curaçao in a 2‐year period (1984–1985), 35 were due to birth asphyxia (15.7%). In order to evaluate the quality of obstetric care, the circumstances surrounding each asphyxiated death were scrutinized. On the whole, patients' compliance with antenatal care was satisfactory. However, when the woman presented in labor the attending physician or midwife often lacked information on maternal antecedents and the course of pregnancy. Inadequate intrapartum surveillance together with failure to respond appropriately to abnormalities in labor constituted the principle factors which were associated with asphyxiated deaths. In addition, asphyxial conditions during labor were often preceded by inappropriate administration of oxytocic agents.