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Malaria and stillbirth in Omdurman Maternity Hospital, Sudan
Author(s) -
Bader Elshiekh,
Alhaj Amel M.,
Hussan Ahmed A.,
Adam Ishag
Publication year - 2010
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/j.ijgo.2009.11.022
Subject(s) - medicine , malaria , obstetrics , odds ratio , pregnancy , confidence interval , body mass index , gynecology , immunology , genetics , biology
Objective The study was conducted in the labor ward of Omdurman Maternity Hospital, Sudan, from November 2007 to February 2008 to investigate the prevalence and risks factors for stillbirth. Methods A case‐control study. Cases were women who delivered stillbirths; 2 consecutive women who delivered a live‐born singleton neonate at term (37–42 weeks) per case were used as controls. Sociodemographic, clinical (including malaria infections), and obstetric histories were gathered using standard questionnaires. Maternal body mass index and hemoglobin levels were measured. Maternal, placental, and cord blood smears were investigated for malaria parasites. Results Among 4760 singleton deliveries, there were 103 stillbirths, yielding a stillbirth rate of 22 per 1000 deliveries. Over half (52.4%) of these stillbirths were macerated stillbirths. Maternal sociodemographic characteristics were not associated with stillbirth, while a history of maternal malaria in the index pregnancy was the main risk factor for stillbirth (odds ratio, 3.0; 95% confidence interval, 1.0–8.9; P = 0.04). Conclusion Measures to prevent malaria infection should help to prevent stillbirth in this part of Sudan.