Pregnancies with an outcome of fetal death present higher risk of delays in obstetric care: a case-control study

Abstract

The objective of this study was identify the association between delays in the care provided to pregnant women and the fetal death outcome, in a tertiary reference maternity hospital in the Northeastern Brazil. A case-control study, with 72 cases of fetal death and 144 controls (live births) in women admitted to the Obstetrics Service of the Assis Chateaubriand Teaching Maternity Hospital, in Fortaleza, Ceara´ . Controls were matched (2:1) by the approximate gestational age of the case. The groups were compared using the three delays model of obstetric care. The Pearson’s Chi-square test and the Fisher’s exact test were used to compare the groups. P <0.05 was considered statistically significant. The Group with fetal death had a smaller number of prenatal consultations (> 6 consultations: 27.8% in cases, 40.3% in controls, p = 0.003), less risk classification of pregnancy (41.7% vs 55.9%, p = 0.048), less guidance about the health facility for delivery (44.5% vs 64%, p = 0.009), lower frequency of cesarean sections (25.4% vs 65.7%) and higher frequency of hemorrhagic syndromes (33.3% vs 19.4%, p = 0.024) and syphilis (15.3% vs 4.2%, p = 0�004). Variables that persisted significantly associated with fetal death in the logistic regression were: Refusal of assistance (OR = 4.07, IC 95%: 1.08–15.3), Absence or inadequacy of prenatal care (OR = 2.69, IC 95%: 1.07–6.75), Delay in diagnosis (OR = 10.3, IC 95%: 2.58–41.4) and Inadequate patient conduct (OR = 4.88; IC 95%: 1.43–16.6). Despite of having a higher frequency of obstetric complications, gestations with fetal death are more prone to delays in obstetric care.