Stillbirths in Uganda

Abstract

Little is known of the causes of stillbirths in Uganda. Attempts have been made by several authors, notably Dodge and McKinney and Brown and Sandhu, to study the causes of perinatal deaths based on post-mortem examinations, but the difficulty of gaining permission for necropsy has made any such study on a large scale an impossible task. One reason for this reluctance is that a large proportion of the local population are Moslems. Every endeavor is made to increase this autopsy rate, but until this problem is overcome we have to rely more on the early recognition of possible complications that may arise during pregnancy and labor. The purpose of this communication, therefore, is to show what clinical conditions and predisposing factors are associated with stillbirths. It is hoped that by understanding these factors the stillbirth rate can be materially reduced in the future.