[Characterization of fetal deaths and associated factors in a high complexity hospital in a Latin American country].

BACKGROUND: Stillbirth remains a problem; therefore requires delving analyzed to assess their causes and strategies that prevent or decrease.

OBJECTIVE: To establish the frequency, describe the sociodemographic and medical characteristics, and factors associated with fetal death in a high complexity hospital in Bogotá, Colombia.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional study quantifying stillbirth and associated factors was conducted in the period from January 1, 2010 to December 31, 2013.

RESULTS: There were 112 fetal deaths, from a total of 15408 births, for a fetal mortality rate of 7.3 per 1000 live births. The average age of the patients was 27.9 years (SD 7.7), 70.5 % of fetal deaths occurred in mothers aged 20-35 years, in primigravidae (33%), between 20 and 28 weeks gestational age (42.9%), in fetuses with weights between 500 and 1000 gr (47.8%). The most frequent medical history was hypothyroidism (5.4%) and chronic hypertension (4.5%). The most common diseases associated with pregnancy were oligohydramnios (21.4%), hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (17%), intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) (17%), and polyhydramnios (16.9%). The most frequently altered test for evaluation of fetal wellbeing was the absent or decreased fetal movements (44.6%), autopsy was performed in 45.5% of cases being the main reported causes of death, chorioamnionitis (21.5%) and placental insufficiency (15.6%).

CONCLUSION: Stillbirth remains a prevalent problem, our findings suggest the need to develop methods to implement the fetal surveillance in patients with risk factors in order to make timely decisions.