Anaemia and Perinatal Outcome in Port Moresby

• Published in: Australian & New Zealand journal of obstetrics & gynaecology Vol. 39; no. 1; pp. 31 - 34
• Main Authors: Mola, G., Permezel, M., Amoa, A.B., Klufio, C.A.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford, UK Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01.02.1999
• Subjects: Anemia - blood; Anemia - complications; Anemia - epidemiology; Confounding Factors (Epidemiology); Female; Fetal Death - etiology; Fetal Growth Retardation - etiology; Hemoglobins - analysis; Hookworm Infections - complications; Humans; Malaria - complications; Multivariate Analysis; Papua New Guinea - epidemiology; Pregnancy; Pregnancy Complications, Hematologic - blood; Pregnancy Complications, Hematologic - epidemiology; Pregnancy Complications, Parasitic; Pregnancy Outcome; Risk Factors; Papua New Guinea
• ISSN: 0004-8666; 1479-828X
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1479-828X.1999.tb03439.x

In 1987, a computerized obstetric database was set up at the Port Moresby General Hospital. Between 1987 and 1992, 27,117 births took place. The mean haemoglobin value amongst the 83% of women in whom a haemoglobin value was tested was 10.0 ± 1.7 g/dL. High stillbirth rates (94 per 1,000) were associated with a haemoglobin value < 6 g/dL. The stillbirth rate was slightly lower (14 per 1,000) in woman whose lowest haemoglobin value was in the range 10.0–10.9 g/dL than in those with a haemoglobin value ≤11 g/dL (18 per 1,000). The stillbirth rate was increased in women with haemoglobin values ≤ 14.0 g/dL. With respect to low birth‐weight (< 2,500 g), the rates were also higher when the haemoglobin value was above 14.0 g/dL. The reason for these findings is not apparent and may be due to the impact of an uncharacterized confounding variable rather than the haemoglobin value.