Perinatal Mortality Meeting

While I'm glad it was all over, I consider myself fortunate to be part of the team to be presenting on the statistics of labour room for this year. It sort of gave me a few insights as to the importance of data collection and analysis and how we can improve and benefit from statistics and its interpretation.

Perhaps I am an academician at heart.

The meeting was a quarterly effort done with the pediatrics team.

I presented mostly on the number of deliveries and birth rates, including modes of deliveries, number of multiple gestations, preterms, and most importantly in the meeting, stillbirths. The pediatrics team had their own presentation on NICU admissions and mortality rates. Later a few selected cases were brought up for discussions as to how to improve things.

I expected blame games and bashings between department but what I saw was a rather pleasant discussion without too much hostilities.

Some of the data I wished I had included:

1. Rate of success of ECVs

Success of ECVs would reduce CS rates for indication of breech. This would be a big help in preventing maternity risk posed by CS as well as risk to fetus during breech delivery vaginally.

2. Shoulder dystocia

The data would be helpful in seeing what could have been done for prevention and anticipation of similar cases.

3. Cord prolapse

This is potentially preventable. Response time could be assessed and discussed as well.

 4. Outcomes of instrumental deliveries

Success although may not very well indicate justification of the procedure, it may provide insight as to the baby's outcome. Many factors come into play here.

As a person with pediatric surgical interest, my interest in connection to O&G would be antenatal screening of congenital disorders, such as gastrochisis, congenital diaphragmatic hernia, duodenal atresia, and spina bifida. Outcome of baby's are greatly increased with antenatal diagnosis and subsequent deliveries in a equipped tertiary center with pediatric surgeons.

I do intend to do my part to make data collection more bearable and simple. A simple template may help perhaps.



"Those who do not learn from the past are doomed to repeat it"
Winston Churchill