Search

Objective: To assess birth preparedness and complication readiness (BPCR) as well as knowledge of danger signs during pregnancy, labor/delivery, and the postpartum period.Methods: A cross-sectional study was undertaken of pregnant women attending the prenatal clinic at a tertiary hospital in Nigeria between October and December 2016. A pretested and structured questionnaire was used to collect data on BPCR, and logistic regression was performed to determine factors affecting BPCR.Results: Of 325 participants, 274 (84.3%) had knowledge of BPCR components, and 265 (81.5%) were well prepared for birth and its complications. However, only 89 (27.4%) knew key danger signs during labor/delivery and 81 (24.9%) knew those in the first 2 days after delivery. Older age, higher parity, tertiary education of women, paid employment of women and their spouses, higher social class, frequent prenatal visits, and knowledge of danger signs were significantly associated with BPCR (P<0.05). Higher parity, maternal government employment, and knowledge of danger signs during pregnancy remained determinants of BPCR on logistic regression (P<0.05).Conclusion: Although there was a high level of knowledge and practice of BPCR, knowledge of key danger signs was low. Therefore, prenatal education needs to be improved with an emphasis on teaching pregnant women to recognize key danger signs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To determine risk factors for perinatal mortality among hospital-based deliveries in Nigeria.Methods: The WHO Global Maternal and Perinatal Health Survey was implemented in Nigeria as a first step in establishing a global system for monitoring maternal and perinatal health. Twenty-one health facilities with more than 1000 deliveries annually were selected by a stratified multistage cluster sampling strategy. Information was recorded on all women who delivered and their neonates within a 3-month period.Results: Overall, there were 9208 deliveries, comprising 8526 live births, 369 fresh stillbirths, 282 macerated stillbirths, 70 early neonatal deaths, and 721 perinatal deaths. The stillbirth and perinatal mortality rates were, respectively, 71 and 78 per 1000 deliveries; the early neonatal death rate was 8 per 1000 live births. Approximately 10% of all newborns weighed less than 2500 g, and 12.3% were born at less than 37 weeks of gestation. Predictors of perinatal mortality were mother's age, lack of prenatal care, unbooked status, prematurity, and birth asphyxia.Conclusion: The perinatal mortality rate remains unacceptably high in Nigeria. Fresh stillbirth accounted for most perinatal deaths. Interventions to improve the utilization and quality of prenatal care, in addition to the quality of intrapartum care, would considerably reduce perinatal death. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]