[Characterization of fetal deaths and associated factors in a high complexity hospital in a Latin American country].

BACKGROUND Stillbirth remains a problem; therefore requires delving analyzed to assess their causes and strategies that prevent or decrease. OBJECTIVE To establish the frequency, describe the sociodemographic and medical characteristics, and factors associated with fetal death in a high complexity hospital in Bogotá, Colombia. MATERIALS AND METHODS A cross-sectional study quantifying stillbirth and associated factors was conducted in the period from January 1, 2010 to December 31, 2013. RESULTS There were 112 fetal deaths, from a total of 15408 births, for a fetal mortality rate of 7.3 per 1000 live births. The average age of the patients was 27.9 years (SD 7.7), 70.5 % of fetal deaths occurred in mothers aged 20-35 years, in primigravidae (33%), between 20 and 28 weeks gestational age (42.9%), in fetuses with weights between 500 and 1000 gr (47.8%). The most frequent medical history was hypothyroidism (5.4%) and chronic hypertension (4.5%). The most common diseases associated with pregnancy were oligohydramnios (21.4%), hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (17%), intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) (17%), and polyhydramnios (16.9%). The most frequently altered test for evaluation of fetal wellbeing was the absent or decreased fetal movements (44.6%), autopsy was performed in 45.5% of cases being the main reported causes of death, chorioamnionitis (21.5%) and placental insufficiency (15.6%). CONCLUSION Stillbirth remains a prevalent problem, our findings suggest the need to develop methods to implement the fetal surveillance in patients with risk factors in order to make timely decisions.