Factors associated with and causes of perinatal mortality in northeastern Tanzania

Christentze Schmiegelow; Daniel Minja; Mayke Oesterholt; Caroline Pehrson; Hannah Elena Suhrs; Stéphanie Boström; Martha Lemnge; Pamela Magistrado; Vibeke Rasch; John Lusingu; Thor G Theander; Birgitte Bruun Nielsen

doi:10.1111/j.1600-0412.2012.01478.x

Factors associated with and causes of perinatal mortality in northeastern Tanzania

Christentze Schmiegelow, Daniel Minja, Mayke Oesterholt, Caroline Pehrson, Hannah Elena Suhrs, Stéphanie Boström, Martha Lemnge, Pamela Magistrado, Vibeke Rasch, John Lusingu, Thor G Theander, Birgitte Bruun Nielsen

36 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Objective. To identify factors associated with perinatal mortality in northeastern Tanzania. Design. Prospective cohort study. Setting. Northeastern Tanzania. Population. 872 mothers and their newborns. Methods. Pregnant women were screened for factors possibly associated with perinatal mortality, including preeclampsia, small-for-gestational age, preterm delivery, anemia, and health-seeking behavior. Fetal growth was monitored using ultrasound. Finally, the specific causes of the perinatal deaths were evaluated. Main outcome measure. Perinatal mortality. Results. Forty-six deaths occurred. Key factors associated with perinatal mortality were preterm delivery (adjusted odds ratio (OR) 14.47, 95% confidence interval (CI) 3.23-64.86, p < 0.001), small-for-gestational age (adjusted OR 3.54, 95%CI 1.18-10.61, p = 0.02), and maternal anemia (adjusted OR 10.34, 95%CI 1.89-56.52, p = 0.007). Adherence to the antenatal care program (adjusted OR 0.027, 95%CI 0.003-0.26, p = 0.002) protected against perinatal mortality. The cause of death in 43% of cases was attributed to complications related to labor and specifically to intrapartum asphyxia (30%) and neonatal infection (13%). Among the remaining deaths, 27% (7/26) were attributed to preeclampsia and 23% (6/26) to small-for-gestational age. Of these, 54% (14/26) were preterm. Conclusions. Preeclampsia, small-for-gestational age and preterm delivery were key risk factors and causes of perinatal mortality in this area of Tanzania. Maternal anemia was also strongly associated with perinatal mortality. Furthermore, asphyxia accounted for a large proportion of the perinatal deaths. Interventions should target the prevention and handling of these conditions in order to reduce perinatal mortality.

Original language	English
Journal	Acta Obstetricia et Gynecologica Scandinavica
Volume	91
Issue number	9
Pages (from-to)	1061-1068
Number of pages	8
ISSN	0001-6349
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1600-0412.2012.01478.x
Publication status	Published - Sept 2012

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Schmiegelow, C., Minja, D., Oesterholt, M., Pehrson, C., Suhrs, H. E., Boström, S., Lemnge, M., Magistrado, P., Rasch, V., Lusingu, J., Theander, T. G., & Nielsen, B. B. (2012). Factors associated with and causes of perinatal mortality in northeastern Tanzania. Acta Obstetricia et Gynecologica Scandinavica, 91(9), 1061-1068. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1600-0412.2012.01478.x

Schmiegelow, C, Minja, D, Oesterholt, M, Pehrson, C, Suhrs, HE, Boström, S, Lemnge, M, Magistrado, P, Rasch, V, Lusingu, J, Theander, TG & Nielsen, BB 2012, 'Factors associated with and causes of perinatal mortality in northeastern Tanzania', Acta Obstetricia et Gynecologica Scandinavica, vol. 91, no. 9, pp. 1061-1068. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1600-0412.2012.01478.x

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title = "Factors associated with and causes of perinatal mortality in northeastern Tanzania",

abstract = "Objective. To identify factors associated with perinatal mortality in northeastern Tanzania. Design. Prospective cohort study. Setting. Northeastern Tanzania. Population. 872 mothers and their newborns. Methods. Pregnant women were screened for factors possibly associated with perinatal mortality, including preeclampsia, small-for-gestational age, preterm delivery, anemia, and health-seeking behavior. Fetal growth was monitored using ultrasound. Finally, the specific causes of the perinatal deaths were evaluated. Main outcome measure. Perinatal mortality. Results. Forty-six deaths occurred. Key factors associated with perinatal mortality were preterm delivery (adjusted odds ratio (OR) 14.47, 95% confidence interval (CI) 3.23-64.86, p < 0.001), small-for-gestational age (adjusted OR 3.54, 95%CI 1.18-10.61, p = 0.02), and maternal anemia (adjusted OR 10.34, 95%CI 1.89-56.52, p = 0.007). Adherence to the antenatal care program (adjusted OR 0.027, 95%CI 0.003-0.26, p = 0.002) protected against perinatal mortality. The cause of death in 43% of cases was attributed to complications related to labor and specifically to intrapartum asphyxia (30%) and neonatal infection (13%). Among the remaining deaths, 27% (7/26) were attributed to preeclampsia and 23% (6/26) to small-for-gestational age. Of these, 54% (14/26) were preterm. Conclusions. Preeclampsia, small-for-gestational age and preterm delivery were key risk factors and causes of perinatal mortality in this area of Tanzania. Maternal anemia was also strongly associated with perinatal mortality. Furthermore, asphyxia accounted for a large proportion of the perinatal deaths. Interventions should target the prevention and handling of these conditions in order to reduce perinatal mortality.",

author = "Christentze Schmiegelow and Daniel Minja and Mayke Oesterholt and Caroline Pehrson and Suhrs, {Hannah Elena} and St{\'e}phanie Bostr{\"o}m and Martha Lemnge and Pamela Magistrado and Vibeke Rasch and John Lusingu and Theander, {Thor G} and Nielsen, {Birgitte Bruun}",

note = "{\textcopyright} 2012 The Authors Acta Obstetricia et Gynecologica Scandinavica{\textcopyright} 2012 Nordic Federation of Societies of Obstetrics and Gynecology.",

year = "2012",

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doi = "10.1111/j.1600-0412.2012.01478.x",

language = "English",

volume = "91",

pages = "1061--1068",

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TY - JOUR

T1 - Factors associated with and causes of perinatal mortality in northeastern Tanzania

AU - Schmiegelow, Christentze

AU - Minja, Daniel

AU - Oesterholt, Mayke

AU - Pehrson, Caroline

AU - Suhrs, Hannah Elena

AU - Boström, Stéphanie

AU - Lemnge, Martha

AU - Magistrado, Pamela

AU - Rasch, Vibeke

AU - Lusingu, John

AU - Theander, Thor G

AU - Nielsen, Birgitte Bruun

PY - 2012/9

Y1 - 2012/9

N2 - Objective. To identify factors associated with perinatal mortality in northeastern Tanzania. Design. Prospective cohort study. Setting. Northeastern Tanzania. Population. 872 mothers and their newborns. Methods. Pregnant women were screened for factors possibly associated with perinatal mortality, including preeclampsia, small-for-gestational age, preterm delivery, anemia, and health-seeking behavior. Fetal growth was monitored using ultrasound. Finally, the specific causes of the perinatal deaths were evaluated. Main outcome measure. Perinatal mortality. Results. Forty-six deaths occurred. Key factors associated with perinatal mortality were preterm delivery (adjusted odds ratio (OR) 14.47, 95% confidence interval (CI) 3.23-64.86, p < 0.001), small-for-gestational age (adjusted OR 3.54, 95%CI 1.18-10.61, p = 0.02), and maternal anemia (adjusted OR 10.34, 95%CI 1.89-56.52, p = 0.007). Adherence to the antenatal care program (adjusted OR 0.027, 95%CI 0.003-0.26, p = 0.002) protected against perinatal mortality. The cause of death in 43% of cases was attributed to complications related to labor and specifically to intrapartum asphyxia (30%) and neonatal infection (13%). Among the remaining deaths, 27% (7/26) were attributed to preeclampsia and 23% (6/26) to small-for-gestational age. Of these, 54% (14/26) were preterm. Conclusions. Preeclampsia, small-for-gestational age and preterm delivery were key risk factors and causes of perinatal mortality in this area of Tanzania. Maternal anemia was also strongly associated with perinatal mortality. Furthermore, asphyxia accounted for a large proportion of the perinatal deaths. Interventions should target the prevention and handling of these conditions in order to reduce perinatal mortality.

AB - Objective. To identify factors associated with perinatal mortality in northeastern Tanzania. Design. Prospective cohort study. Setting. Northeastern Tanzania. Population. 872 mothers and their newborns. Methods. Pregnant women were screened for factors possibly associated with perinatal mortality, including preeclampsia, small-for-gestational age, preterm delivery, anemia, and health-seeking behavior. Fetal growth was monitored using ultrasound. Finally, the specific causes of the perinatal deaths were evaluated. Main outcome measure. Perinatal mortality. Results. Forty-six deaths occurred. Key factors associated with perinatal mortality were preterm delivery (adjusted odds ratio (OR) 14.47, 95% confidence interval (CI) 3.23-64.86, p < 0.001), small-for-gestational age (adjusted OR 3.54, 95%CI 1.18-10.61, p = 0.02), and maternal anemia (adjusted OR 10.34, 95%CI 1.89-56.52, p = 0.007). Adherence to the antenatal care program (adjusted OR 0.027, 95%CI 0.003-0.26, p = 0.002) protected against perinatal mortality. The cause of death in 43% of cases was attributed to complications related to labor and specifically to intrapartum asphyxia (30%) and neonatal infection (13%). Among the remaining deaths, 27% (7/26) were attributed to preeclampsia and 23% (6/26) to small-for-gestational age. Of these, 54% (14/26) were preterm. Conclusions. Preeclampsia, small-for-gestational age and preterm delivery were key risk factors and causes of perinatal mortality in this area of Tanzania. Maternal anemia was also strongly associated with perinatal mortality. Furthermore, asphyxia accounted for a large proportion of the perinatal deaths. Interventions should target the prevention and handling of these conditions in order to reduce perinatal mortality.

U2 - 10.1111/j.1600-0412.2012.01478.x

DO - 10.1111/j.1600-0412.2012.01478.x

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 22676243

SN - 0001-6349

VL - 91

SP - 1061

EP - 1068

JO - Acta Obstetricia et Gynecologica Scandinavica

JF - Acta Obstetricia et Gynecologica Scandinavica

IS - 9

ER -

Factors associated with and causes of perinatal mortality in northeastern Tanzania

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