Daniel Tarekegn Worede, Kebadnew Mulatu and Taye Abuhay
Background: Globally, 14,300 perinatal deaths were estimated to occur each day in 2015. Almost all (98%) took place in developing countries. Ethiopia is one of the developing countries with 33 per 1000 perinatal deaths. However, there is limited information about factors associated with perinatal mortality. Therefore this study was aimed to identify determinants of perinatal mortality in Bahir-dar town governmental health institutions.
Methods: Institutional based unmatched case control study design was conducted from 1st March to 30th June, 2019. Cases were stillbirths and early neonatal deaths and controls were live births that were survived the first seven days after delivery. All stillbirths and early neonatal deaths were included and two controls per case were selected using systematic sampling method. A total of 459 (153 cases and 306 controls) participants were involved. Structured questioner and checklist were used for data collection. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was performed. A p-value of <0.05 was considered as significant.
Results: Antepartum hemorrhage (AOR 2.55, 95%CI; 1.23-5.26), obstructed labour (AOR 3.11, 95% CI; 2.00-8.38), prematurity (AOR 3.29, 95% CI; 1.86-5.81), delay in seeking care (AOR 2.61, 95% CI; 1.56-4.39) and delay in reaching care (AOR 2.75, 95% CI; 1.49-5.11) were the determinants that increases perinatal mortality ,whereas partograph use (AOR 0.24, 95% CI; 0.14-0.42) and tertiary education (AOR 0.35, 95% CI; 0.17-0.71) were protective factors of perinatal mortality.
Conclusion: The determinants of perinatal mortality in the study area were prematurity, obstructed labor, antepartum hemorrhage; first and second delay and pantograph use in labour follow up.