[Can clinical risk factors for perinatal mortality in West Africa be detected during antenatal care or during labor?].

INTRODUCTION

Perinatal mortality (PNM) is a public health problem in West Africa. Aims. To evaluate the rate of PNM in 6 countries of West Africa, to identify clinical risk factors for PNM, to quantify the relative contribution of antenatal care and labor survey in the detection of these risk factors.

METHODS

The MOMA study was a prospective population-based study that collected data about 20326 pregnant women in various, primarily urban, areas of Burkina-Faso, Ivory-Coast, Mali, Mauritania, Niger and Senegal. The present report analyses 19.870 singleton births and 31 simple clinical variables.

RESULTS

The mean PNM ratio was 42 per 1000 total births. In the crude analysis, after adjustment or taking prevalence into account, the principal risk factors were: immediately antenatal and intrapartum vaginal bleeding, labor hypertension, dystocia and infection.

CONCLUSION

The PNM are very high in West Africa. The principal risk factors for PNM can be detected only during labor.