Strengthening the reporting of stillbirths globally

Joos, Olga; Swiney, Chrystie; Sferrazza, Lynn

doi:10.1016/s0140-6736(21)02342-4

Cited by 1 publication

(1 citation statement)

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“…Recently, stillbirth has increasingly been recognized as a key metric of population health [ 5 , 10 ]. Parallel to this global recognition has been increased efforts to classify [ 11 ] and report stillbirth deliveries [ 12 , 13 ]. Arriving at an international definition of “stillbirth” has been challenging, with over 80 classification systems reported in the literature in the past two decades [ 14 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Perinatal loss in Tanzania: Perspectives of maternal-child healthcare providers

Rent,

Gaffur,

Nkini

et al. 2024

PLOS Glob Public Health

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Over 98% of stillbirths and neonatal deaths occur in Low- and Middle-Income Countries, such as Tanzania. Despite the profound burden of perinatal loss in these regions, access to facility or community-based palliative and psychosocial care is poor and understudied. In this study we explore perinatal loss through the lens of front-line healthcare providers, to better understand the knowledge and beliefs that guide their engagement with bereaved families. A Knowledge Attitudes and Practices survey addressing perinatal loss in Tanzania was developed, translated into Swahili, and administered over a 4-month period to healthcare professionals working at the Kilimanjaro Christian Medical Center (KCMC). Results were entered into REDCap and analyzed in R Studio. 74 providers completed the survey. Pediatric providers saw a yearly average of 5 stillbirths and 32.7 neonatal deaths. Obstetric providers saw an average of 11.5 stillbirths and 13.12 neonatal deaths. Most providers would provide resuscitation beginning at 28 weeks gestational age. Respondents estimated that a 50% chance of survival for a newborn occurred at 28 weeks both nationally and at KCMC. Most providers felt that stillbirth and neonatal mortality were not the mother’s fault (78.4% and 81.1%). However, nearly half (44.6%) felt that stillbirth reflects negatively on the woman and 62.2% agreed that women are at higher risk of abuse or abandonment after stillbirth. A majority perceived that women wanted hold their child after stillbirth (63.0%) or neonatal death (70.3%). Overall, this study found that providers at KCMC perceived that women are at greater risk of psychosocial or physical harm following perinatal loss. How women can best be supported by both the health system and their community remains unclear. More research on perinatal loss and bereavement in LMICs is needed to inform patient-level and health-systems interventions addressing care gaps unique to resource-limited or non-western settings.

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