Research Article
Factors Contributing To High Perinatal Morbidity Rates in Mankweng-Polokwane Complex of the Capricorn District, Limpopo Province, South Africa
MK Thopola and MG Mathebula
Correspondence Address :
MK Thopola
Department
of Nursing Science
School of Healthcare Sciences
University of Limpopo
Polokwane South Africa
Received on: August 12, 2019, Accepted on: August 26, 2019, Published on: September 10, 2019
Citation: MK Thopola, MG Mathebula (2019). Factors Contributing To High Perinatal Morbidity Rates in Mankweng-Polokwane Complex of the
Capricorn District, Limpopo Province, South Africa.
Copyright: 2019 MK Thopola, et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
Abstract
Background: Perinatal morbidity is defined as presence of the disease which occurs as a result of side effect influences of treatment acting either on a foetus during pregnancy or new-born during the first week of life. High perinatal morbidity rates cause sub-optimal outcomes, which are common, and might impair subsequent developmental milestones of children or sound function of families, and increase health care cost. The maternity and neonatal units should be staffed with advance midwives, obstetricians, neonatal intensive care trained nurses, neonatologists and paediatricians.
Research Question: What are factors contributing to high perinatal morbidity rates in the Mankweng-Polokwane Complex of the Capricorn district, Limpopo province, South Africa?
Objective: To identify factors that contribute to high perinatal morbidity rates in Mankweng-Polokwane Complex of the Capricorn district, Limpopo province, South Africa.
Methods: The study implemented a quantitative, cross-sectional and descriptive research designs. Simple random sampling was used to ensure that all respondents had an equal chance of been selected. The sample comprised 66 respondents who were allocated in labour and Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) Mankweng and Polokwane Campuses.
The questionnaires that contained closed-ended questionnaires were distributed to the respondents, completed and returned, except for 3 of them. Content validity was ensured through intense literature review and consultations with subject expects. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyse data.
Results: Data revealed that shortage of staff, overcrowding of patients, staff workload, lack of equipment and supplies, perinatal asphyxia, prematurity, absenteeism and resignation were contributory factors to high perinatal morbidity rates.
Conclusion: The study recommended that all registered midwives working in maternity and neonatal unit should be upgraded in terms of the management of pregnant woman and neonates.
Keywords: Factors contributing, High perinatal morbidity rates