Profile of Stillbirth in a Referral Center in the Niger Delta Region of Nigeria

Background: The rate of stillbirth in developing countries of Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia remains a far cry from the rate of 12 per 1000 deliveries recommended by the United Nations. This tragedy results largely from inadequate maternity care services or failure to utilize available services in affected countries. Objectives: The aim of this study was to determine the stillbirth rate in the study center and to assess factors that were associated with the delivery of a stillborn infant. Method: This study was a retrospective descriptive study where mothers who had stillbirth were identified for in depth study of their clinical records. Results: The stillbirth rate was 67.5 per 1000 deliveries in the study center during the period under review. The majority (39.7%) of the mothers were aged 26 – 30 years, and more than half (54.7%) were multiparous. Over half (58.5%) of the deliveries were delivered at term and 46.4% of the mothers were un-booked. A vast majority (63.0%) of the infants were normal weight, while 54.6% were males. Macerated stillbirth accounted for 55.7% of the stillbirths. Multiparous women and women who delivered un-booked significantly had stillbirths (p = 0.000). Conclusion: The stillbirth rate in the study center was very high and this was commoner among multiparous women and women who did not receive antenatal care during pregnancy.