[Prenatal consultations and perinatal mortality in Madagascar]

One of the contributions for improving maternal and child health consists in reducing the perinatal death rate. This rate reaches 20.5 per 1000 births in the health district of Fianarantsoa-II. This study is carried out to determine the factors related to this problem.

A case control study included mothers having had perinatal death and mothers having had a live birth in 2005.

Our findings show significant relationship of certain factors with perinatal mortality: complications during the pregnancy, no medical care for these complications, poor knowledge about complications and symptoms, inadequate iron intake. Differences were also found on message transmitters and dissemination means.

In rural areas, it is necessary to address the antenatal care quality by early risk management. A project entitled Plan périnatalité is proposed, so as to reduce by 50% the perinatal mortality rate in the health district of Fianarantsoa-II.