Blood transfusion in obstetrics: attitude and perceptions of pregnant women.

Background : Obstetrics haemorrhage is the leading cause of preventable maternal deaths worldwide. Blood transfusion is pivotal to death reduction, but are the women aware of its importance? Objectives : The study investigated the view of a population of pregnant women on obstetrics related blood transfusion. Methods : Structured questionnaires with sections on bio-social variables, obstetrics and surgical history, history of index pregnancy and blood transfusion related questions were administered to 500, randomly selected women who consented to the study. The findings were statistically analyzed. Results : The major predictors of acceptability of blood transfusion were previous delivery of still born baby (p=0.046), ante- partum haemorrhage (p= 0.004) and the threat of death (p= 0.016) Conclusion : Fifty four percent of the participants would not accept blood transfusion in pregnancy, however, if it were a lifesaving option the percentage was reduced to 31%.

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