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Factors associated with stillbirth in selected countries of South Asia: A systematic review of observational studies

journal contribution
posted on 2021-07-26, 02:26 authored by Samikshya Poudel, Pramesh R Ghimire, Nawaraj Upadhaya, Lal RawalLal Rawal
Background Despite having the high rate of stillbirth in most of the countries of South Asia, there is a lack of synthesized evidence based on factors associated with stillbirth. This study systematically synthesizes the evidence on factors associated with stillbirth in the four selected countries of South Asia. Methods This review was conducted using Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Studies that examined factors associated with stillbirth in South Asia were searched using five major electronic search databases including MEDLINE, CINAHL, Embase, PsycINFO, and Scopus, published between January 2000 and December 2019. In the meta-analysis, significant heterogeneity was detected among studies (I2 >50%), and hence a random effect model was used. Results A total of 20 studies met the inclusion criteria. The pooled rate of stillbirth from the studies in Bangladesh, India, Nepal, and Pakistan was 25.15 per 1000 births. Pregnancy complications, maternal health conditions, fetal complications, lack of antenatal care, and lower Socio Economic Status (SES) were the most common factors associated with stillbirth in countries of South Asia. Conclusion This study confirmed that stillbirth in selected countries of South Asia remains high. To reduce stillbirth, a greater focus needs to be on timely management of preterm labor, maternal hypertension, and provision of financial support for quality antenatal and delivery care. The interventions should be targeted for women living in remote areas, who are less educated and those with low SES.

History

Volume

15

Issue

9

Start Page

1

End Page

12

Number of Pages

12

eISSN

1932-6203

ISSN

1932-6203

Location

United States

Publisher

Public Library of Science

Publisher License

CC BY

Additional Rights

CC BY 4.0

Language

eng

Peer Reviewed

  • Yes

Open Access

  • Yes

Acceptance Date

2020-08-26

External Author Affiliations

Ujyalo Nepal, Ratnanagar Municipality, Nepal; Department of Research and Development, HealthWorks, Netherlands

Era Eligible

  • Yes

Medium

Electronic-eCollection

Journal

PLoS ONE

Article Number

e0238938