Chebet, Martin, Olupot-Olupot, Peter, Weeks, Andrew D, Engebretsen, Ingunn Marie S, Okalany, Noela Regina Akwi, Okello, Francis, Tylleskär, Thorkild, Burgoine, Kathy and Mukunya, David 
ORCID: 0000-0002-3892-9777
(2025)
Term stillbirths in Eastern Uganda: a community-based prospective cohort study.
Global health action, 18 (1).
p. 2448895.
ISSN 1654-9716, 1654-9880
Abstract
<h4>Background</h4>Every year, 1.9 million stillbirths occur worldwide, of whom 1.5 million occur in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) and Southeast Asia.<h4>Objectives</h4>This study aims to determine the incidence and risk factors and to describe underlying causes for term stillbirths in Eastern Uganda.<h4>Methods</h4>This was a cohort study of pregnant women enrolled at 34 weeks of gestation or more and followed to birth between January 2021 and January 2024. Enrolment and follow-up were done in the community by trained midwives. Using structured questionnaires, details of maternal health, pregnancy and birth were captured.<h4>Results</h4>We enrolled 6101 participants and analysed 5496 for incidence of term stillbirth and 5296 for risk factors. Of the participants, 4913/5296 (92.8%) were between 14 and 35 years, and 4456/5296 (84.1%) had a health facility birth. There were 101 term stillbirths (61 were intrapartum and 40 antepartum). The incidence of term stillbirth was 18.4 per 1000 births (95% CI 14.8 to 22.9). The most common underlying causes of stillbirth were prolonged or obstructed labour 32/101 (31.7%) and malaria 20/101 (19.8%). The factors associated with term stillbirths were caesarean birth (aRR 3.3; 95% CI 2.00 to 5.4), intimate partner violence (aRR 1.8; 95% CI 1.1 to 2.8) and maternal age above 35 years (aRR 2.2; 95% CI 1.2 to 3.9).<h4>Conclusion</h4>Eastern Uganda has a high rate of term stillbirths with more than half occurring during labour. Efforts are needed to improve the quality of birth care and to prevent intimate partner violence.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | Humans, Incidence, Risk Factors, Prospective Studies, Pregnancy, Adolescent, Adult, Uganda, Female, Stillbirth, Young Adult |
| Divisions: | Faculty of Health and Life Sciences Faculty of Health and Life Sciences > Institute of Life Courses and Medical Sciences |
| Depositing User: | Symplectic Admin |
| Date Deposited: | 06 Feb 2025 10:32 |
| Last Modified: | 06 Aug 2025 16:11 |
| DOI: | 10.1080/16549716.2024.2448895 |
| Open Access URL: | https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/16549716.2... |
| Related Websites: | |
| URI: | https://livrepository.liverpool.ac.uk/id/eprint/3190133 |
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