Analysis of Perinatal Mortality in a Tertiary Care Hospital in India: A Retrospective Observational Study

Abstract

A b s t r ac t Aim: To analyze the perinatal mortality rate in a tertiary care center. Background: To identify possibly responsible maternal risk factors in a tertiary care hospital in developing country. Methodology: Data of perinatal deaths from 1 January 2019 to 31 December 2019 was collected from monthly perinatal mortality records. All patients with fetal death after 28 weeks of pregnancy till the period of 7 days after neonatal birth were included in this study. Results: The study conducted at our hospital aimed at investigating the causes of perinatal mortality and related maternal risk factors resulting in perinatal mortality. The total confinement number was 6,688; among these, the number of fresh stillbirth was 155, macerated stillbirth was 137, and neonatal death was 24. Among the 316 perinatal deaths, 241 deaths (69.6%) were noted before 37 weeks of pregnancy and 75 deaths were noted after 37 weeks of pregnancy (15.18%). Out of 316 deaths, 100 deaths observed in patients induced for labor. Of these, 100 neonates, 88 delivered vaginally and 12 neonates delivered by cesarean section. The 69 neonates (21.83%) deaths observed in the patients who had undergone cesarean section. A total of 33 (10.44%) deaths resulted due to birth asphyxia, 72 (22.78%) deaths observed due to preterm delivery, 22 (6.96%) deaths were due to congenital anomalies. Preterm was one of the most important risk factors observed in 72 (22.78%) women with perinatal deaths. Conclusion: Prematurity, low birth weight (LBW), no proper wrapping of newborns, and no guidance and proper training to mothers were significantly associated with higher probability of neonatal mortality.