Antenatal Obstetric Hospitalization: Risk Factors and Pregnancy Outcomes in the University of Calabar University Teaching Hospital, Calabar – A Retrospective Review

BACKGROUND: Antenatal obstetrics hospitalization (AOH) may be indicated due to pregnancy complications that need close surveillance and possible intervention. AIM: The aim of this review was to assess the risk factors and the peripartum outcome of such women. METHODS: Retrospective study of records of pregnant women was done. The risk factors of interest included maternal demographic profile, obstetric factors, and medical comorbidities. Outcome of interest included discharge diagnoses, maternal death or morbidity, and perinatal outcome. Inferential statistics was used to assess significant relationship between variables. The level of significance was set at p ≤ 0.05. Analysis was done using SPSS version 22.0. RESULTS: The prevalence of AOH within the period under review was 2.8% among the 3686 women who delivered at UCTH. The mean maternal age was 29.24 ± 4.059 (SD) years. The mean body mass index (BMI) was 27.91 kg/m2 ± 3.704 (SD). The mean gestational age at admission was 33.03 weeks. The mean duration of hospitalization was 4.03 days. Seven (7.7%) of them had chronic medical comorbidities. The case fatality rate for preeclampsia/eclampsia was low for AOH with (12.5%) compared to 17.1% in none hospitalized women. The perinatal mortality rate was 66/1000 live births. The duration of hospitalization was positively related to the maternal BMI (p = 0.047). Booking status and duration of hospitalization did not significantly affect neonatal outcome/perinatal death (p = 0.905). CONCLUSION: AOH may reduce incidence of maternal death However, long-term study may be indicated to assess the trend and neonatal/infant survival.