Demelash Zeleke, Haftu Berhe, Alemseged Aregay and Hailemariam Berhe
ABSTRACT
Background: Birth outcomes are the most important vital statistics used to assess maternal and child health programmes. Adverse birth outcomes in developing countries, such as Ethiopia, far outweigh those of developed countries where most pregnancies are planned, complications are few and outcomes are generally favorable for both mother and infant.
The aim of this study was to assess the Patterns of birth outcomes in public hospitals in Mekelle town.
Methods: A hospital based case control study was done in April 2013 at public hospitals in Mekelle town, Tigray regional state. Cases were mothers who had adverse birth outcomes during delivery in hospitals between January, 2011 to December, 2012 and controls were mothers who gave normal live birth in the same hospitals during same period. Simple random sampling method was used to select the case and controls. A ratio of three controls to one case was considered to assure sufficient sample size. Data were entered, cleared and analyzed using SPSS window 20. Data are described and presented in text, graphs and tables.
Result: A total of 85 case and 255 controls were included in the study. The mean age of the study subjects were 28.2 (range15-41) years of cases and 27.7(range17-45) years of controls respectively. During the study period patterns of birth outcomes were almost stable. Majority of the adverse birth outcomes were perinatal deaths which accounts 22(62.9%) for 2011 and 31(62.0%) for 2012. common. Therefore, this finding suggests that improving health service availability and strengthening of basic emergency obstetric services and strengthening of maternal & child health services including family planning services is essential.
Conclusion: In this study perinatal death was found to be predominant and among the perinatal death in the cases still birth was common. Therefore, this finding suggests that improving health service availability and strengthening of basic emergency obstetric services and strengthening of maternal & child health services including family planning services is essential.
Key words: Patterns, birth outcomes, associated factor