The magnitude of perinatal mortality rate and associated risk factors among deliveries at Dilla University Referral Hospital, Southern Ethiopia: A case-control study

The perinatal mortality rate is the sum of stillbirths and early neonatal deaths divided by the number of pregnancies of seven or more months’ duration. In Ethiopia, the death rate was 33 deaths/1000 total births in 2016. We aimed to identify the perinatal mortality rate and associated risk factors among deliveries in Dilla University Referral Hospital; January, 2016 - December, 2018. A hospital based retrospective case-control study was conducted using subgroup binary logistic regression analysis including 138 cases and 296 control group. The proportion of hospital perinatal deaths was 30% with 90% of the deaths were occurred as a result of stillbirths and antepartum hemorrhage. Adjusted odds ratios revealed that history of still birth, very low birth weight, short interval and nonuse of partograph found to be independent predictors of both stillbirths and early neonatal deaths besides to pregnancy induced hypertension and antepartum hemorrhage. The risk of perinatal mortality may be increased by not treating chronic illnesses, obstetrics complications and risk factors causing low birth weight as well as short birth intervals and not using partograph during labour.