Abstract:
Perinatal mortality remains a challenge for the world particularly for the developing nations. It is estimated to be five times higher in developing than in developed countries. One of the key strategies to reduce perinatal mortality and as a result improving the child health system is to identify factors associated with perinatal mortality and develop preventive strategies to decrease perinatal mortality. However; little is known concerning the common factors associated with perinatal mortality in developing nations like Ethiopia.
Objective: The aim was to determine perinatal mortality rate and identify factors associated with perinatal mortality among mothers who gave birth in Suhul hospital from September 2012 to August 30, 2013 shire town, North Ethiopia.
Methods:
Case-control study was conducted among mother who gave birth in Suhul/sharie hospital from September 2012 to August 30, 2013. The study was under taken among 1128 mother who gave birth in Suhul hospital (376 cases and 752 controls). Cases were stillbirths and early neonatal deaths. Controls were those live newborns till discharged from the hospital. Computer based simple random sampling method was employed to select maternal charts from the total deliveries of mothers who gave in Suhul hospital from September 2012 to August 30, 2013.
Result: The gross perinatal mortality rate was found to be 131 per thousand live births. Stillbirths accounted for (86%) of total perinatal mortality. The occurrence of perinatal mortality was higher in those mothers who had no regular antenatal care follow up (AOR=6.9 CI (4.2-11.5). Very low and low birth weight newborns were found to be at increased risk having perinatal mortality (AOR=9.9 CI (4.1-24.5) and (AOR=3.2 CI (1.9-5.3) respectively. Obstetric complications hypertensive disorder (AOR=3.8 CI (1.8-7.8), obstructed labor (AOR=7.7CI (3.1-18.5) and cord accident (AOR=5 CI (1.7-14.) were significantly associated with perinatal mortality.
