[Profile of referred pregnancies from the Tunisian Sahel]

Investigation of the referral system for pregnancies from peripheral maternity units to the Maternity clinical of the main teaching hospital (CHU) in the region of Monastir has shown that one in five pregnancies is referred. The referred pregnancies account for 30 percent of the obstetrical activity of the CHU and reveal a high risk sociodemographic profile. The outcome of pregnancy is generally less good than that of non-referred cases. Evaluation of the referral system has shown that some of the cases did not require referral. The effectiveness of this system can be improved by used a grid to refer high-risk pregnancies.