Trado-Cultural And Socio-Economic Effects Of Feto-Maternal Outcome In A Rural Community In The Niger Delta: 5 Years Retrospective Study In Nduth, Okolobiri

Ekine, A. A.,Udoye, E.P. and West, O.L.
Page No: 
113-119

Background: Feto-maternal indices play a vital role in the assessment of nation socio-economic state among other factors. Despite various efforts and measures by the WHO, the feto-maternal morbidity, mortality is still unacceptably high, especially within the low and middle income countries. The objective is to understand the likely socioeconomic and trado-cultural impact on the negative outcome on pregnancies in the rural and semi-urban settlements in the Niger delta. Result: This is a retrospective study of all pregnant women managed and delivered between the 1st. of January, 2009 and 31st. of December, 2013 with some pathological outcomes (n=508). A total of 2815 deliveries were recorded, the incidence ratio of stillbirth was 31.62 ‰, and maternal mortality was 5.68‰. The major contributor to maternal mortality was PPH, while obstructed labour and preeclampsia contributed more to intrauterine fetal death. Only 22.64% attended antenatal clinic at least once during the pregnancy, 83.07% were managed primarily by the TBA and 72.44% had abdominal massage prior to presentation. Anemia was present in 61.61%, only 9.65% had post secondary education, 91.14% resides in rural areas, while only 3.74% were pension ably employed and cesarean section rate was 45.27%. Conclusion: Maternal mortality and perinatal loss was unacceptable, majority of those incidences occurred among the socio-economically deprived patients and basically unbooked. Therefore, the need for better health care promotion among the targeted group, re-evaluation some of our trado-cultural practice and non adherence of modern health care; ad vocation and provision of compulsory antenatal care services may have great impact.

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