| Abstract |
Background: Caesarean section rate has been on the increase worldwide. Uncontrolled increase in the rate of caesarean delivery is known to worsen foetal and maternal outcomes. The objective of this study is to determine the rate of caesarean section (CS) and foetal outcome at birth. Materials and Methods: The records of all caesarean deliveries conducted at Abia State University Teaching Hospital (ABSUTH) Aba, Nigeria from 1st June 2011 to 31st May 2014 were retrospectively analyzed. Results: The prevalence rate of CS was 10.9%. Male: female ratio of the fetuses delivered was 1.1:1.Seventy-one (26.1%) of the deliveries were still births. The mothers were aged 20-46years with a greater majority (31%) aged 25-29 years; most (57%) having secondary education; mostly traders (36.7%) and 68.5% booked. Overwhelming proportion (83.3%) of the caesarean sections were emergency. Seventy-one (26.1%) of the deliveries were still births. Still birth delivery was significantly associated with unbooked status (p=0.00), maternal age less than 29 years (p=0.02), parity > 4 (p=0.031), and emergency caesarean section (p=0.00). Apgar scores > 7 at 5 minutes occurred significantly more in babies delivered by elective than by emergency CS (p=0.01). Obstructed labour (20%) was the highest indication for CS. Eighty-six (31.9%) of the deliveries were referred to the Special Care Baby Unit with severe birth asphyxia (51.2%) constituting the majority. Conclusion: Newborns delivered by elective caesarean section were more viable than those delivered by emergency caesarean sections. Sustained education of the masses especially young women, on the need for booking in pregnancy, would help to curb the incidence of emergency CS and improve fetal outcome.
KEYWORDS: ABSUTH, Caesarean section, fetal outcome, Prevalence, Nigeria. |
