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RETROSPECTIVE STUDY ON THE RELATIONSHIP OF ANTENATAL CARE AND PERINATAL DEATHS IN NEW SOUTH WALES
Author(s) -
GrattanSmith Maureen
Publication year - 1973
Publication title -
medical journal of australia
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.904
H-Index - 131
eISSN - 1326-5377
pISSN - 0025-729X
DOI - 10.5694/j.1326-5377.1973.tb115213.x
Subject(s) - medicine , pregnancy , neonatal death , family medicine , infant mortality , obstetrics , perinatal mortality , prenatal care , pediatrics , population , environmental health , fetus , genetics , biology
Certificates of 500 perinatal deaths in New South Wales were taken at random and a questionnaire, requesting details of the antenatal care, was sent to the doctor supervising the pregnancy. Three hundred and thirty‐one questionnaires were sent to doctors associated with teaching hospitals and other hospitals in the Sydney Statistical Division. Of these, 202 (61%) were returned. One hundred and sixty‐nine questionnaires were sent to doctors associated with other hospitals in New South Wales and 124 (75%) were returned. The minimum standard of antenatal care was based on the recommendations of the National Health and Medical Research Council. Forty per cent of the mothers with stillbirths and 36% with neonatal deaths attended the doctor before the 12th week of pregnancy. Forty‐nine per cent with stillbirths and 54% with neonatal deaths attended before the 16th week. There were 28 women (9%) who received no antenatal care at all. An adequate number of attendances (for the period of gestation reached) as recommended by the National Health and Medical Research Council was made by 57% of the women who had stillbirths and 52% of those whose pregnancy resulted in a neonatal death. Overall, in less than 40% of women whose pregnancy resulted in a perinatal death was the minimum standard of antenatal care reached. The causes of death are shown together with the number of post‐mortem examinations. It is suggested that some of these deaths may have been avoided and that the data indicate that a prospective study covering the antenatal care and the outcome of all pregnancies, over a limited period, would produce worthwhile information in mounting campaigns to impress on the mothers the need for early and regular antenatal attendances and on the doctors for the need for efficient resuscitation in the newborn.