Studies in developed countries have shown that deliveries which occur at home and under the supervision of unskilled attendants present a high risk of perinatal death. However, it is unclear, especially in sub- Saharan Africa (SSA) where studies are limited, on precisely how these factors may influence perinatal mortality. This is particularly of interest considering that majority of births in SSA occur at home under the supervision of unskilled attendants and perinatal mortality in the sub-region is about five times that of the developed world. This study aims to determine the extent to which these factors influence perinatal mortality in Nigeria in order to inform maternal and child health policy decisions.
This study uses secondary data from the 2003 Nigerian Demographic and Health Survey. Logistic regression analysis was used to determine the association of place of delivery and delivery assistants with perinatal mortality while controlling for other known risk factors.
Of the 5783 live singleton births that were analyzed, 194 were perinatal deaths giving an estimated perinatal mortality rate (PNMR) of 72.4 per 1000 live births. However, the results show that place of delivery and delivery assistants were not significantly associated with perinatal mortality in Nigeria.
In this study, place of delivery and delivery assistants are not critical predictors of perinatal mortality in Nigeria. However in view of the high PNMR found in this study, we recommend improved skilled attendance and institutional delivery rates as part of efforts for better maternal and child health in developing countries.
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