Prevalence and Risk Factors of Intrauterine Fetal Death Among Pregnant Women at Banaadir Hospital Mogadishu, Somalia

Why It Matters

Understanding the drivers of IUFD enables health systems in low‑income settings to target interventions—such as improving ANC coverage—to reduce fetal mortality and improve maternal outcomes.

Key Takeaways

• Multigravida mothers face higher IUFD risk than primigravida
• Prior IUFD doubles odds of recurrence
• Absence of antenatal care increases IUFD risk
• Malaria infection during pregnancy linked to lower IUFD odds
• Maternal age >35 associated with increased IUFD incidence

Pulse Analysis

Intrauterine fetal death remains a pressing public‑health challenge, especially in low‑resource environments where data are scarce. The Benadir Hospital study provides one of the few rigorous case‑control analyses from Somalia, revealing a notable prevalence of IUFD among women delivering at the facility. By comparing 143 cases with an equal number of controls, researchers could isolate demographic and clinical variables that differentiate outcomes, offering a clearer picture of the local epidemiology compared with global estimates.

Statistical modeling highlighted several high‑impact risk factors. Women over 35 years old showed a heightened likelihood of IUFD, aligning with broader literature linking advanced maternal age to placental insufficiency. Multigravidity emerged as a stronger predictor than primigravidity, while a prior IUFD doubled the odds of a repeat event, emphasizing the importance of thorough obstetric histories. Notably, lack of antenatal care visits increased risk, whereas malaria infection during pregnancy appeared protective—a counterintuitive finding that may reflect treatment‑related health‑seeking behavior rather than a direct causal effect.

The implications for policy are clear: scaling up accessible, high‑quality ANC services could mitigate many of the identified risks. Training frontline health workers to flag previous IUFD and to monitor older, multigravida patients can enable timely interventions. Moreover, integrating malaria prevention and treatment into prenatal programs may yield ancillary benefits. As Somalia strives to improve maternal‑child health metrics, evidence‑based strategies derived from studies like this are essential for allocating resources and reducing preventable fetal deaths.