Stillbirths among pregnant women in Otukpo Local Government Area, Benue State, Nigeria: A descriptive study
Keywords:
Benue State, neonatal mortality, Nigeria, stillbirthAbstract
Background: The prevalence of stillbirth in low-to-middle income countries (LMICs) is alarmingly high. Nigeria has one of the highest stillbirth proportions worldwide, accounting for 12% of global stillbirths. At the population level, excessive stillbirth can be reduced with accessible prenatal and perinatal care. However, Nigeria lacks regional stillbirth data that would otherwise inform the allocation of obstetrical resources throughout rural areas. To assist local governments with addressing stillbirth in Nigeria, we determine stillbirth prevalence in an area that lacks this data: Otukpo Local Government Area, which is within Benue State.
Methods: Perinatal records were retrieved from primary healthcare centres (PHCs) in Otukpo. Births were categorized according to outcome and year to ascertain differences in stillbirth proportions between 2014-2018. Data analysis utilized basic descriptive statistics and Chi-Squared contingency test.
Results: A total of 1,047 birthing outcomes were recorded in 23 PHCs. Births were classified as: positive (live), low birth weight, stillbirth, macerated, or premature. Majority of births were positive (91.6%), with stillbirths representing 7.7% of outcomes. All other outcomes comprised less than 1% of births. There was no annual change in the proportion of stillbirths (p=0.93). PHC records lacked prenatal data, preventing the identification of stillbirth causes.
Conclusion: LMICs like Nigeria need better stillbirth data to improve prenatal and perinatal care. Stillbirth proportions were unchanged between 2014-2018, indicating that Benue State requires better strategies to reduce stillbirth. Local government officials and policy makers should prioritize reliable collection of regional prenatal and perinatal data to reduce the impact of this tragedy.
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