Do Anomalous Stillbirths Have Risk To Be Delivered Preterm? A Cross-Sectional Study Conducted in Kandy, Sri Lanka

Abstract Stillbirths is one of major health issues in Sri Lankan context. This study aimed to explore the distribution of externally identifiable congenital anomalies according to their sex and the period of gestation and to estimate risk of stillbirth with or without congenital anomalies to be born pre-term or term. Sample size was 246. Due to extreme prematurity and maceration, 05 fetuses were excluded. Of 241 stillbirths, 36 (14.9%) had congenital anomalies and majority were females (n=23, 9.5%). The mean period of gestation was 31 weeks (SD=5.3). 12.5% with congenital anomalies were pre-term. 95% confidence interval (0.261-1.170) of risk estimate revealed that there is no statistically significant association between fetal sex and having congenital anomalies. Risk to be preterm stillbirth for the fetuses with congenital anomalies was 2.447 times (OR = 2.447) greater than the non-anomulous. Females were at high risk to acquire congenital anomalies. Congenital anomalies caused preterm stillbirths.