Abstract

RODRIGUEZ CARDENAS, Antonio; VELAZCO BOZA, Alejandro  and  MENSAH, Nicole Eunice. Behavior of perinatal mortality I at "América Arias" Hospital in a period of 10 years . Rev Cubana Obstet Ginecol [online]. 2004, vol.30, n.3, pp. 0-0. ISSN 1561-3062.

An observational descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted to determine the behavior and the main causes of perinatal mortality I and of its components at "América Arias" Hospital from 1993 to 2002. The medical histories of the pregnant women that had deaths were exhaustively reviewed and the number of live births was determined. The rates of perinatal mortality I and of its components were calculated and it was made an analysis of the temporary series and of the frequency distribution of the variables of interest. During this period, it was observed an increase of perinatal mortality I (20.4, in 1998) until its half, followed by a gradual decrease of mortality (11.5, in 2002). The group under 2500 g (64.2 %) and the preterm (52.2 %) provided the highest percentage of deaths to perinatal mortality I at the expense of late fetal death. The most significant causes of death in this period were unexplained fetal death (21.6 %), asphyxia (32.9 %) and congenital malformations (18.6 %) that contributed the highest percentage to perinatal mortality I . As regards its components, idiopathic fetal death (28.9 %) and asphyxia (44.1 %) were marked causes in late fetal mortality, whereas infections (32.1 %) and congenital malformations (30.7 %) were important causes of late fetal mortality. The results of this study suggest that despite the existance of a progressive decrease of perinatal mortality I and of the fact that the risk factors tending to rise it are known, patients' care and control in the preconceptional and prenatal stage should be improved to reduce the low birth weight, preterm and congenital malformation indexes. Likewise, it is necessary to increase the ante and intrapartum care in the fight against infection and hypoxia.

Keywords : Perinatal mortality I.