Causes and risk factors for stillbirth in India: A systematic review protocol.

OBJECTIVES

Stillbirths, the tragic loss of a baby before or during delivery, presents a profound global health concern. Investigating the diverse causes and risk factors is essential to develop targeted interventions, enhance perinatal care, and reduce the incidence of this devastating outcome. The aim of this study was to identify the causes and possible risk factors of stillbirths in India.

STUDY DESIGN

The study design is a protocol for systematic review.

METHODS

This systematic review will include all types of observational studies, such a cross-sectional surveys, descriptive studies, cohort studies and case-control studies from India. Studies will be retrieved from global databases like CINAHL, Medline through PubMed, EMBASE, SCOPUS, Web of Science, ProQuest Medical Library, Microsoft Academia, DOAJ, and Indian databases like Indian Citation Index, J-Gate, and Neonatal Database using database-specific keywords. Additionally, online hand searching will be done on the websites of the relevant Indian institutions. Primary studies' reference lists will be scrutinized for additional references if required. Two review authors (SN & AR) will independently screen, extract data, and critically appraise included studies. The Joanna Briggs Institute Critical Appraisal Checklist will be used to identify the quality and risk of bias of included studies. Any disagreements will be resolved in consultation with a third reviewer (BSN).

RESULTS

Results will be reported as per the PRISMA guidelines. This systematic review will. identify and highlight the causes and potential risk factors of stillbirths in India, which will guide the healthcare team in planning and developing a standard protocol and policies to promote successful antenatal care, implement effective early interventions, and improve access to quality healthcare to reduce stillbirth rates in institutional, rural, and underserved areas as per the Indian healthcare system.

CONCLUSION

These findings on causes and risk factors for stillbirth in India address a crucial gap in th literature and allow us to prepare a foundation for targeted interventions and policy recommendations in the healthcare system trajectory.

PROTOCOL REGISTRATION

The Protocol is registered in the International Prospective Register of Systematic reviews PROSPERO (CRD - 42024506186).