[The characteristics of pregnancy-puerperium in central Africa. I. Cesarean section in 3 different areas in Zaire].

A series of 5,127 deliveries carried out in rural (Boende), in semi-urban (Bonzola) and in the urban university teaching hospital units was studied from April to September 1986 to assess pregnancy and the puerperium in a Zairian population. In particular the Caesarean section rate was looked at. Two hundred and forty eight Caesareans were carried out--a rate of 4.8%. More were carried out in university centres (8.6%), than in semi-urban districts (2.2%) or in rural hospitals (1.3%). The maternal morbidity due to haemorrhage and infection and the mortality were also higher in the urban and teaching hospitals (5.9% and 2.3%) than in the other hospitals. In Bonzola it was 2.5% and 0.3%. These figures suggest overall that carrying out Caesarean operations in developing countries with poor equipment has to be considered much more seriously than in centres that are well equipped.