Stillbirths in Jordan: rate, causes, and preventability

Area of Science:

• Perinatal Health
• Reproductive Epidemiology
• Maternal-Fetal Medicine

Background:

• Stillbirth remains a significant global health concern.
• Accurate stillbirth rates and causes are crucial for targeted interventions.
• Jordanian data on stillbirth is limited, hindering effective public health planning.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the stillbirth rate in Jordan.
• To identify the leading causes of stillbirths in the Jordanian population.
• To inform resource allocation and service improvement in maternal healthcare.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of national perinatal mortality data from 18 Jordanian hospitals.
• Inclusion of 21,980 deliveries at gestational age ≥20 weeks.
• Classification of stillbirth causes using the NICE classification system.

Main Results:

• Stillbirth rates ranged from 11.6 to 9.0 per 1000 total births depending on gestational age thresholds (≥20 to ≥28 weeks).
• Leading causes included maternal diseases (19.5%), unexplained immaturity (18.8%), and congenital anomalies (17.6%).
• A significant proportion of fetal deaths were deemed preventable (34.5%) or possibly preventable (30.3%) with optimal care.

Conclusions:

• The study establishes key stillbirth rates and etiological factors in Jordan.
• Findings underscore the potential for reducing stillbirths through improved maternal care.
• Recommendations for healthcare providers, researchers, and policymakers to implement interventions are provided.