Abstract
Objective: To use an active facility-based maternal and newborn surveillance system to describe cesarean delivery practices and outcomes in a resource-poor setting. Methods: Using data from operating room logbooks, 392 cesarean deliveries were evaluated between April 1 and June 30 2006 at a large public maternity hospital in Kabul, Afghanistan. Results: The perinatal mortality rate was 89 per 1000 births: 57% antepartum and 37% intrapartum stillbirths. Fetuses with normal birth weight comprised 85% of intrapartum stillbirths. Obstructed labor, uterine rupture, and malpresentation accounted for more than 50% of perinatal deaths. The cesarean delivery rate was 10.2% and there were 2 maternal deaths. Conclusion: The high percentage of intrapartum stillbirths among normal birth weight fetuses suggests a need for improved labor monitoring and surgical obstetric practices. The use of a facility-based perinatal surveillance system is critical in guiding such quality assurance initiatives.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 14-17 |
Number of pages | 4 |
Journal | International Journal of Gynecology and Obstetrics |
Volume | 104 |
Issue number | 1 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Jan 2009 |
Externally published | Yes |
Keywords
- Afghanistan
- Birth weight
- Cesarean delivery
- Perinatal outcome
- Quality assurance
- Surveillance system
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Obstetrics and Gynecology