Still Births in a Tertiary Hospital, Niger Delta Area of Nigeria; Less Than a Decade to the Millennium Developmental Goals

Aims: To determine the prevalence and associated factors of stillbirths in the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital (UPTH), Port Harcourt, south-south Nigeria.
Study Design: Retrospective study.
Place and Duration of Study: Data were obtained from the delivery registers in the theatre, labour and isolation wards and the records department of the UPTH between 1st January 2005 and 31st December 2010.
Methodology: We included 580 stillbirths (316 males and 264 females) whose data were analyzed using Epi-Info software version 6.04 and SPSS version 11.
Results: The prevalence of stillbirths was 45 per 1000 births. Fresh stillbirths (SB) (50.9%) were not significantly more than macerated SB (49.1%) p=0.792. Preterms (47.8%) were insignificantly more than term SB (41.5%) p=0.765. Unbooked mothers (86.7%), age 25-34 years (70%) and lower parities 1, 2 and 0 (43.4% and 29% respectively) were significantly associated with stillbirth delivery p<0.05. Places of antenatal supervision of the unbooked mothers were primary health centre (27%), traditional birth attendants’ (25%), churches, (22.3%), private maternities, (21.1%). Predominant pregnancy and labour complications associated with SB were prolonged labour (23.1%) abruptio placentae (14.1%), retained second twin (21.8%). Significantly more SB were delivered vaginally (66.9%) than abdominally (33.1%) p=0.026.
Conclusion: Lack of booking, inadequate pregnancy and labour supervision, avoidable delays are major contributors to high prevalence of stillbirths in Nigeria.