"The Association between Child Loss, Children's Paternity and High Parity in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania": A Cross Sectional Survey at the National Referral Hospital

Abstract

Objectives: The study aimed at examining factors that influence the persistence of grand multiparity. Methods: A cross-sectional study conducted at Muhimbili National referral Hospital in Tanzania inquired about and compared age, socioeconomic status, perception of obstetric risks of grand multiparity, contraceptive knowledge and practice, obstetric history and having children of different paternity, between grand multiparas and lower parity women using Chi-square and student’s t-tests. Results: Fewer grand multiparas than lower parity women had formal education, but awareness of grand multiparity and its adverse outcomes and knowledge of contraception was similar in the two groups. Compared with lower parity women, more grand multiparas had ever used contraceptives, yet more had an unplanned current pregnancy. Grand multiparity was associated with history of abortion, intrauterine fetal death and neonatal death. Higher proportion of grand multiparas than lower parity women had children of different paternity. Conclusions: Grand multiparity was highly associated history of pregnancy loss and children of different paternity. Keywords