Maternal malnutrition, perinatal mortality and foetal pathology--a clinicopathological study

The close relationship between the maternal malnutrition and consequent birth of low birth weight babies and the perinatal mortality is now an accepted fact and has been studied extensively in developed countries, though the problem is more acute in developing countries. The present study was proposed to find out relationship between the maternal nutritional status and the perinatal mortality. Autopsy was performed on 100 babies dying perinatally and pathological examination of different foetal organs in both well and malnourished mothers was also undertaken. Maternal nutritional status was evaluated by estimating haemoglobin level and total serum protein level. A mother with haemoglobin level below 11 g/dl and/or serum protein level below 5 g/dl was considered as malnourished. Pathological findings in the dead babies included low birth weight (500-1,999g), haemorrhage in multiple organs, atelectasis of the lungs, fatty changes in the liver, cystic changes of the kidneys and ill developed parenchyma of the pituitary.