Unfollowed Pregnancies: Maternal and Perinatal Prognosis in a District Hospital in Cotonou

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate the prognosis of unfollowed pregnancies at a referral hospital of the district. Patients and methods: This was a cross-sectional, retrospective, descriptive study over a period of six (6) months, from May 1st to November 30th, 2016. Results: The frequency of unfollowed pregnancies was 21.5%. The post-partum women were young (75.8% aged between 20 and 34 years old), uneducated (43.9%), and sellers (30.3%). The complications at admission were mostly pre-eclampsia (54%), placenta previa (21%), retroplacental hematoma (11%) and postpartum complications were anemia (74%), immediate postpartum hemorrhage (9%) and infection (6%). Cesarean section was performed in 38.9% of cases.The stillbirth rate was 8.5 per 1000 births and the early neonatal mortality rate was 36.5 per 1000 live births. Conclusion: unfollowed pregnancies still remain a global health problem in developing countries. They constitute a pejorative element for perinatal and maternal prognosis in terms of morbidity and mortality.