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Preventable stillbirth in the Solomon Islands -- a retrospective review
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  • Manarangi De Silva,
  • Leeanne Panisi,
  • Lenin Manubuasa,
  • Catherine Honimae,
  • Susan Taragwanu,
  • Simon Burggraaf,
  • Divinal Ogaoga,
  • Anthea Lindquist,
  • Susan Walker,
  • Stephen Tong,
  • Roxanne Hastie
Manarangi De Silva
University of Melbourne

Corresponding Author:rangi.desilva7@gmail.com

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Leeanne Panisi
National Referral Hospital
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Lenin Manubuasa
National Referral Hospital
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Catherine Honimae
National Referral Hospital
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Susan Taragwanu
Ministry of Health Solomon Islands
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Simon Burggraaf
World Health Organisation
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Divinal Ogaoga
Ministry of Health Solomon Islands
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Anthea Lindquist
University of Melbourne
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Susan Walker
University of Melbourne
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Stephen Tong
University of Melbourne
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Roxanne Hastie
University of Melbourne, Mercy Hospital for Women
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Abstract

Introduction: Stillbirth is a significant global public health issue, with approximately 98% occurring in low- and middle-income countries. The Solomon Islands is a Pacific nation with poor perinatal outcomes and very little previous research investigating stillbirth. Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study investigating all stillbirths at the National Referral Hospital in Honiara, Solomon Islands, between January 2017 and December 2018. Causes of stillbirth and risk factors were classified on review of available case files. Results: Over two years, there were 341 stillbirths and 11,056 total births at the National Referral Hospital (30.8 stillbirths per 1000 births). Cause of death was documented for 198 and 142 full case files were available. Most stillbirths occurred antenatally (n=170/198) and 62% were at preterm gestations (<37 weeks). Low birthweight (<2500g) was present in 59% (n=84/142) and preventable maternal conditions, including hypertensive disorders and syphilis, were present in 42% (n=59/142) of cases. Acute events caused 46% of intrapartum deaths and 92% of these had inadequate intrapartum monitoring. Conclusion: Our study is the first to investigate causes of stillbirth in the Solomon Islands. We found a large proportion of preventable stillbirths and significant gaps in documentation. This highlights the importance and feasibility of a national registry. There is an urgent need for targeted training in data collection, improved quality of antenatal and intrapartum care and community awareness to reduce preventable stillbirths in the Asia-Pacific.