Do As Many Babies Die As the Estimates Show? Evidence from a Community Based Assessment

Abstract

Background: The fourth Millennium Development Goal was endorsed to reduce under-five mortality rate by twothirds between 1990 and 2015. To achieve this goal, the accurate knowledge of the PMR, SBR and ENDR and knowledge of factors that promote perinatal mortality in a given community is important. The projected National estimates of PMR, ENDR and SBR may not be accurate. This community based study was therefore carried out to determine the PMR, SBR and ENDR in Igueben Local
Government Area (LGA) of Edo State.

Methods: All women of child-bearing age, who resided in three randomly selected political wards in Igueben LGA were identified. The mothers, who had deliveries and perinatal deaths between June 2009 and May 2010, were recruited for the study. Interviewer administered questionnaires were used to obtain relevant data from the mothers.

Results: Of the 921 women of child-bearing age recruited, 258 deliveries with 3 perinatal deaths were recorded. This resulted in PMR, SBR and ENDR of 11.6/1000TB, 11.6/1000TB and 0/1000LB respectively. The values were lower that the projected Nigerian averages; 76/1000TB, 43/1000TB and 35/1000LB for PMR, SBR and ENDR. Almost all the mothers studied (99.6%) received skilled obstetric care in delivery.

Conclusion: In the community studied, the PMR and SBR were lower than the National estimates, perhaps because of receipt of good obstetric care by the mothers. This therefore underscores the importance of community -based studies in the determination of vital statistics which are important in health planning including resource allocation.