Determination of the Effect of Obstetric Variables on Stillbirths: A Case Control Study in Turkey.

Background: The stillbirth rate may differ between regions; however, most of the stillbirths can be prevented with quality prenatal care. It is important to identify appropriate goals and implement proper intervention programs to cope with this problem. At this point, determining the reasons for recurrent stillbirths would be a strategic move to create the right path to follow. Objective: The study was conducted to analyze the effects of obstetric variables on stillbirths. Methods: This is a case-control study. Sample of the study consists of women giving birth in Sanlıurfa Training and Research Hospital in the city of Sanlıurfa, Turkey. The case group includes the women who had stillbirths, and the control group includes the women who had live births. The sample size was calculated as 96 persons for each group taking into consideration the prenatal care rates. The participants in the control group were selected by matching them individually with those in the case group by their ages. The percentage from descriptive statistics, the Mann-Whitney U test and the Chi-square test from univariate analyses were used for the data analysis; logistic regression analysis from multivariable analyses were also used. Results: The median of women's age is 28. Univariate analysis presents that stillbirth history, short interbirth interval history, early delivery history, placental disorder history is more common in the case group, and the median of living children is lower in the case group. However, according to logistic regression analysis, having a stillbirth history increases the risk of stillbirth by 14.3 times. Conclusion: In conclusion, it was determined that the rate of stillbirth is higher for women who have a poor obstetric history, and that having had a stillbirth is a high-risk factor for later pregnancies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]