infection among women with macerated stillbirth in Mwanza Tanzania: an underestimated tragedy in Tanzania.

BACKGROUND

is one of the commonest cause of stillbirths world-wide. This study investigated the magnitude of among women with macerated stillbirth in Mwanza, Tanzania.

METHODS

A cross-sectional study involving 301 women with macerated stillbirths attending selected health facilities in the region of Mwanza was conducted between October-2017 and March-2018. Detection of was done using venereal diseases research laboratory (VDRL) and hemagglutination test (TPHA). Data were analyzed by the STATA version 13.

RESULTS

The median age of the enrolled women was 27 (IQR: 22 - 34) years. Eighteen (6.0%, 95% CI: 3.0-8.0) of women were seropositive. Seropositivity of was significantly higher among women residing in rural areas than urban areas (p=0.010), and among HIV seropositive than HIV seronegative women (p=0.036). By multivariable regression analysis, the odds of being seropositive were significantly high among women with positive HIV serostatus (OR: 3.9, 95% CI: 1.2-14.1, p=0.036) and those residing in rural areas (OR: 5.6, 95% CI: 1.5-20.3, p=0.010).

CONCLUSION

Seropositivity of is higher among women with macerated stillbirth than in normal pregnant women as previously reported which calls for the need to improve screening services in rural areas of Tanzania.