Stillbirths among Pregnant Women Admitted to Department of Obstetrics in a Tertiary Care Centre: A Descriptive Cross-sectional Study

Abstract

Introduction: Stillbirth is often defined as the death of a foetus in the uterus prior to its birth or during the process of birth. Most of the stillbirths are preventable global health problem. The aim of this study was to find out the prevalence of stillbirths among pregnant women admitted to the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology in a tertiary care centre. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology of a tertiary care centre among pregnant women admitted between 14 April 2021 to 13 April 2022. Ethical approval was taken from the Institutional Review Committee (Reference number: 43). Convenience sampling method was used. The data was collected from the medical record section using a proforma. Point estimate and 95% Confidence Interval were calculated. Results: Among 5118 pregnant women, stillbirths were found in 126 (2.46%) (2.04-2.88, 95% Confidence Interval). Conclusions: The prevalence of stillbirth among pregnant women was higher than in the other studies done in similar settings.