Perinatal deaths at the Castle Street Hospital for Women in 1993.

OBJECTIVE

To identify causes for perinatal mortality at the Castle Street Hospital for women.

DESIGN

Retrospective analysis of clinical notes.

SETTING

Castle Street Hospital for Women, Lady Ridgeway Hospital and Sri Jayawardanepura General Hospital.

PATIENTS: All stillbirths and early neonatal deaths at the Castle Street Hospital for Women in 1993.

RESULTS

There were 192 antepartum, 31 intra-partum and 120 early neonatal deaths. 264 deaths were in low birth weight babies. Pregnancy induced hypertension, cord round the neck, anencephaly, antepartum haemorrhage and idiopathic respiratory distress syndrome were the common causes of mortality.

CONCLUSION

Most deaths may have been prevented with better obstetric and neonatal care.