Number of stillbirths soars

17 April 2015 - 02:08 By Tanya Farber

Alarming figures show that the stillbirth rate has doubled in 15 years, and outpaces many other countries. In 2013, 17 out of every 1000 babies were stillborn, Statistics SA revealed yesterday, compared with eight per 1000 in 1998. The stillbirth rate is 10 per 1000 in Brazil and China, 4.7 per 1000 in the UK and six per 1000 in the US.Professor Sithembiso Velaphi, head of paediatrics at Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital, said there were several reasons for the high South African stillbirth rate."One is that many mothers book in for a check-up only after 20 weeks of pregnancy so problems get picked up too late," he said."Also, a number of facilities get overwhelmed with numbers. There are too few nurses and midwives, and sometimes mothers need emergency c-sections but operating theatres are not available."Some provinces lacked adequate facilities in rural areas and a shortage of ambulances meant many women experienced delays in getting to specialists in towns."One must also not forget HIV infection. Although the transmission rate from mother to child has been reduced, babies born to HIV-positive mothers are more likely to be delivered pre-term and are also at higher risk of developing infections, and some don't survive."According to Stats SA, stillbirths as well as deaths within the first week of life could be reduced by efficient care during pregnancy and special attention to warmth and hygiene for newborns.Dr Simone Honikman, head of the Perinatal Mental Health Project at UCT, said previous perinatal loss increased the risk of maternal depression in subsequent pregnancies."Mortality data is important but it doesn't give the full picture of morbidity [the medical term for suffering and illness]. The figures are the tip of the iceberg of what is going on with the underlying factors and the consequences," she said...

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