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Preterm birth is defined as childbirth occurring at less than 36 completed weeks or 259 days of gestation (World Health Organization, 2014). In most developing and resource limited countries such as Zambia, ultrasound estimation of fetal weight in most circumstances is not readily available for...

Trial of labour after one previous caesarean section is safe in appropriately selected women with the addition of adequate intrapartum monitoring and ready access to theatre when emergency caesarean section is indicated. The primary objective of this study was to explore the major obstetric...

Adolescent pregnancies are a major health concern in Zambia. Obstetric outcomes of and factors associated with adolescent pregnancies seen at the UTH were not clearly understood, defined and documented. This study explored this aspect. This was a comparative prospective cross sectional study. A...

Spontaneous abortion in Zambia is defined as non-induced embryonic death or passage of products of conception before 28 weeks’ gestation. Placental insufficiency as a result of thrombi lodging in the uteroplacental bed is considered to be a cause of pregnancy loss. Circulating microparticles are...

Background: Globally, 15 million babies are born preterm (<37 weeks gestation) each year, and more than 1 million of those do not survive their first month of life. (Lawn, 2006). Preterm birth accounts for 75% of all perinatal mortality in some series. Causes of deaths and antecedent pregnancy...

Background: Ectopic pregnancy is defined as a pregnancy outside the uterine cavity and is a life-threatening emergency in the field of obstetrics and gynaecology. It is a most common cause of maternal morbidity and mortality in the first trimester of pregnancy. In resource-constrained settings,...

Background: Caesarean deliveries are increasingly performed at the University Teaching Hospital (UTH), Lusaka, with a 2012 audit report indicating a rate of 17.8%. The procedure is a major surgical intervention and results in higher morbidity than vaginal delivery. Part of this morbidity and...

Background: Abortion is the loss of the pregnancy before the age of viability. It can be spontaneous or induced. It is the leading cases of admission to gynaecology emergency ward at UTH 30%-50%. The contraceptive knowledge is 97% but lack of uptake may contribute to the high prevalence of...

Background: Between 2013 and 2014, Zambia‟s maternal mortality ratio was estimated at 398 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births. Successful aversion of deaths is dependent on effective use of signal functions-a clinical intervention- to treat direct obstetric complications. Staff must be...

Background: Fetal distress is a common indication for an emergency caesarean section (C/S). The term fetal distress refers to the presence of signs in a pregnant woman that suggests that the fetus may be compromised and this is manifest by fetal heart rate abnormalities and/or presence of fresh...