Risk-factors for antepartum fetal deaths in the city of São Paulo, Brazil
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1590/S0034-89102007000100006Keywords:
Antepartum fetal death, Prenatal care, Risk factors, Socioeconomic factors, Case-control study, PregnancyAbstract
OBJECTIVE: To assess risk factors for antepartum fetal deaths. METHODS: A population-based case-control study was carried out in the city of São Paulo from August 2000 to January 2001. Subjects were selected from a birth cohort from a linked birth and death certificate database. Cases were 164 antepartum fetal deaths and controls were drawn from a random sample of 313 births surviving at least 28 days. Information was collected from birth and death certificates, hospital records and home interviews. A hierarchical conceptual framework guided the logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: Statistically significant factors associated with antepartum fetal death were: mother without or recent marital union; mother's education under four years; mothers with previous low birth weight infant; mothers with hypertension, diabetes, bleeding during pregnancy; no or inadequate prenatal care; congenital malformation and intrauterine growth restriction. The highest population attributable fractions were for inadequacy of prenatal care (40%), hypertension (27%), intrauterine growth restriction (30%) and absence of a long-standing union (26%). CONCLUSIONS: Proximal biological risk factors are most important in antepartum fetal deaths. However, distal factors - mother's low education and marital status - are also significant. Improving access to and quality of prenatal care could have a large impact on fetal mortality.Downloads
Published
2007-02-01
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Section
Original Articles
How to Cite
Almeida, M. F. de, Alencar, G. P., Novaes, H. M. D., França Jr, I., Siqueira, A. A. F. de, Campbell, O. M. R., Schoeps, D., & Rodrigues, L. C. (2007). Risk-factors for antepartum fetal deaths in the city of São Paulo, Brazil . Revista De Saúde Pública, 41(1), 35-43. https://doi.org/10.1590/S0034-89102007000100006