A five-year retrospective review of the maternal and feotal outcome of obstructed labour and its determinants in a tertiary hospital in Nigeria

Background: Obstructed labour is one of the common obstetric emergencies in Nigeria which is associated with an increased maternal and foetal complications. Objective: To determine the maternal and foetal outcome of obstructed labour and its determinants in a tertiary hospital in Ebonyi State University Teaching hospital Abakaliki Methods: A retrospective review of all women with obstructed labour managed at Ebonyi State University Teaching hospital Abakaliki between January 2007 and December 2011 was carried out. Results: The prevalence rate of obstructed labour was 3.4% (95%CI 3.37 – 3.42) for the period under review. Women in their second and third decade of life formed 91.6% (196/214) of patients in the study. Majority of obstructed labour occurred in primiparous women (92/214, 42.9%) and the commonest cause of obstructed labour was cephalopelvic disproportion (106/214, 49.6%). The commonest maternal complication was wound infection accounting for 23.2% (48/214) of all the complications. Most of the babies delivered had a good Apgar score as was noted in 60.3% (129/214) of cases. Being unbooked, para 3 and above, maternal age of 30 and above, having no formal education and rural residence were strongly associated with parturient having maternal complication (P > 0.05) and abnormal APGAR score. The maternal and perinatal mortality rate was 191/100,000 live births and 168/1000 deliveries respectively. Conclusion: The commonest cause of obstructed labour in our review is cephalopelvic disproportion occurring more in primiparous women. Wound infection is the commonest maternal complication with majority of the neonates having a good outcome. Provision of free antenatal care services, education of women on the importance of antenatal care, early presentation in the hospital and early use of broad spectrum antibiotics would help to reduce the associated complications. Keywords: Obstructed labour; cephalopelvic disproportion; antenatal care; sepsis; haemorrhage; uterine rupture; Abakaliki.