Nigeria has one of the highest maternal mortality rates in the world. Contributing to this statistic is the high percentage of births that take place at home without the presence of a skilled birth attendant. Researchers, including JSI's Bolaji Fapohunda and Nosa Orobaton, examined pooled data sets from the 2003, 2008, and 2013 Nigerian Demographic and Health Surveys to document trends in women delivering at home with no one present and identify unifying characteristics of these women.
Study results indicated that delivery with no one present declined by 30% overall between 2003 and 2013, however there was a 27% increase in births with no one present in Nigeria's North West region. Age, income, and religious practices also emerged as factors in determining the likelihood that a woman would deliver at home with no one present. Findings also suggest a stagnation in the decline of unattended births in Nigeria; researchers call for the implementation of interventions to ensure timely access to and use of skilled obstetric care to reduce maternal mortality and morbidity.
Read the full article at International Journal of Women's Health
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