Özet:

Objective: The present study aims to make an epidemiological analysis of stillbirths which occurred during a 24-month-long period at a tertiary health center located in the biggest city of Southeastern Anatolia Region. Materials and Methods: This is a retrospective analysis of 472 stillbirths which occurred at Dharma Hospital between 1 January 2012 and 1 January 2014. Results: Stillbirth rates were computed as 0.14% for 2012 and 0.11% for 2013. The mothers were housewives in 93% of stillbirths. The mothers had social insurance in 83% of them and they had chronic diseases in 17% of stillbirths. About 57% of stillbirths received antenatal care at family health centers, 17% of them were due to consanguineous marriages. Only 41 stillbirths (8. 7%) occurred during the third trimester of pregnancy and 15 of these third trimester stillbirths (36.6%) were related with intrapartum causes. Preeclampsia (41.9%), abruptio placenta (28.4%) and fetal anomaly (13.5%) were the most frequently associated clinical conditions for stillbirths. The stillbirth rate in geographical regions with low socioeconomic status can be significantly decreased by certain precautions. These precautions include the fortification of antenatal care centers, maintenance of prenatal care at home facilities in collaboration with parents, prevention and treatment of perinatal infections, effective labor induction after 41st gestational week, delivery by experienced midwives/doctors working at hospitals and easy access to emergent obstetric care