Centre for Pregnancy holds seminar on still births
The Centre for Pregnancy and Childbirth Education on Saturday held a seminar on stillbirth to educate the public on the causes, symptoms, effects and prevention of ineffective pregnancy and delivery.
Dr Sodzi Sodzi-Tettey, the Executive Director, Project Fives Alive, said according to the University of Michigan–Michigan Global, 2013, stillbirth occurred in about 20 to 50 babies out of every 1,000 in low-income countries especially in Africa.
He said it occurred in about two to five babies out of every 1,000 born in high-income countries.
He said among the risk factors of stillbirth were maternal obesity, fetal growth restriction, smoking, pre existing diabetes, ante partum hemorrhage and hypertension.
Dr Sodzi-Tettey said Ghana Health Service and Catholic Health System were ensuring that frequent training was organized to equip health workers especially in the remote areas to secure safe pregnancy and delivery.
Dr Alex Ackon, a gynecologist, said still birth was caused by many factors including maternal factors of about five to 10 per cent, fetal factors of about 25 to 40 per cent, placental factors of about 20 to 35 per cent, abnormal labour, prolonged or obstructed labour, ruptured uterus and post-term pregnancy.
He said any individual who is about to deliver for the first time should visit a health centre with theatre since the pelvis had not been tried before and women who had delivered over four children should also do same since their muscles were weakened and could be attended to in case of emergency.
Ms Mary Akua Ampomah, a Clinical Psychologist, Sickle Cell Clinic, said women who had stillbirths usually went through a state of mourning and grief.
Among the symptoms of grief are shock and superstitious beliefs, anger, sadness, guilt, fear and physical symptoms.
“Women should desist from thoughts that they cannot deliver safely due to their experiences in the past and psyche their minds that they are in control”, he added.
She advised women who had experienced stillbirths not to isolate themselves from their relatives since they needed to bond with loved ones for comfort.
Source: GNA