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M H Bouvier-Colle

Publications and source records attributed to M H Bouvier-Colle.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2003

[Maternal mortality in developing countries: statistical data and improvement in obstetrical care].

Since launching of the safe motherhood initiative in 1987, much work has been undertaken, understanding of the situation in developing countries has improved, and numerous health programs have been designed. However the end result of action has been considered disappointing more often than encouraging especially in Sub Saharan Africa. What is the true picture? The purpose of this article is to review the means available for studying all facets of maternal mortality and methodological precautions that must be applied in the interpretation of statistical data. Perusal of recent reports on maternal mortality reveals that estimated incidences in different populations vary widely from 85 to 1000 per 100,000 live births, that rural zones are more affected than urban areas, that reductions have been achieved in the major cities, that the most common direct obstetrical causes are postpartum hemorrhage, dystocia with uterine rupture, eclampsia, and sepsis, and that 70% of deaths are avoidable, i.e., due to absent or insufficient care. Although currently underused, qualitative study methods are gradually being implemented and will identify the health care sectors requiring priority improvement. Based on previous experience, it is unlikely that technical or obstetrical measures and action on the part of medical professionals alone will achieve any reduction in maternal mortality without the commitment of political authorities.

Adult↗
PubMed2002

[Maternal mortality in West Africa: risk, rates, and rationale].

New information has been collected about maternal mortality which is becoming better known in the West African countries. However, estimated rates for these countries still exhibit wide discrepancies related to the methods used. The purpose of the present work was to describe the principal methods which can be used to estimate rates and to present the results observed in the six countries of the MOMA survey. Obstetrical causes of maternal death and their substandard care, pointed out by the audit carried out during the survey, are presented and discussed.

Africa, Western↗
PubMed2002

[Estimate of expected cesarean section rate for maternal indications in a population of pregnant women in West Africa (MOMA survey)].

OBJECTIVES: There is still some debate about the optimal rate of cesarean section (CS) needed to achieve better outcome for both mothers and infants in developing countries. We examine here two aspects of the question: i) a simple method to estimate the expected rate of CS according to obstetrical risk; ii) a test of the method to estimate the appropriate rate for maternal indications in a general population of pregnant women in West Africa. METHODS: This population-based study was conducted in a cohort of pregnant women in six West African countries (MOMA survey): Abidjan (Ivory Coast), Bamako (Mali), Niamey (Niger), Nouakchott (Islamic Republic of Mauritania), Ouagadougou (Burkina Faso), and in three areas of Senegal, two small towns (Fatick and Kafrine, Kaolack region), and one major city (Saint-Louis). 19,459 women with singleton pregnancies with expected breech presentation were followed to delivery and puerperium. Maternal indications for CS were defined as dystocia (prolonged labor over 12 hours), malpresentation, previous cesarean section, abruptio placentae, placenta paevia and eclampsia. A standardized method was used to calculate the number of expected CS in the MOMA population, according to the level of the obstetrical risk. RESULTS: The minimal needs for Cs for maternal indications were estimated between 3.6 and 6.5 per 100 deliveries. However, we observed a rate of 1.3 CS per 100 deliveries. DISCUSSION: These findings underline the lack of CS for maternal indications in urban West Africa. The method of standardization we propose could help policy makers, health planners and obstetricians to design programs to reach the appropriate level of CS and to monitor and follow-up these programs.

Abruptio Placentae↗
PubMed2002

[Confidential enquiries and medical expert committees: a method for evaluating healthcare. The case of Obstetrics].

BACKGROUND: Confidential inquiries into dramatic events are a specific type of audit used to measure quality of care. Confidential inquiries have been conducted on maternal deaths in some European countries since 1920-30. In France, the first one was carried out in 1996. The number of these surveys is increasing, including in developing countries. Initially implemented in perinatology, they are also being carried out in other surgical or medical areas. The aim of this work was to describe the methods used and demonstrate their contribution to evaluating healthcare services. METHODS: We reviewed the literature and studied several confidential inquiries. These inquiries were in-depth examinations conducted by peers of medical events leading to critical outcomes. They were based on scientific reasoning in an attempt to explain what happened. Strict confidentiality, for patients and healthcare providers, was assured. The different steps and rules of investigation were clearly defined. RESULTS: About twenty confidential inquiries concerning perinatal events have been published worldwide. Other inquiries concerning anesthetic accidents, stroke with hypertension, or surgical complications have also been reported. Their principal contribution lies in the capacity to identify weaknesses in the healthcare service and care organization. Suboptimal care and avoidable factors of death were found in all cases. Most of the reports led to recommendations. These inquiries provide essential information for reorganizing current healthcare practices. CONCLUSION: Confidential inquiries are needed to complete standard epidemiology surveys in evaluating healthcare and healthcare organization.

Adult↗
PubMed2001

Caesarean section rate for maternal indication in sub-Saharan Africa: a systematic review.

INTRODUCTION: Rates of caesarean sections in more-developed countries have been rising since 1970, and vary greatly between less-developed countries. Present estimates, based on data from more-developed countries need to be validated with data from less-developed countries. We estimated the need for caesarean section for maternal indication in a population of pregnant women in west Africa (MOMA survey). METHODS: The expected caesarean section rate was calculated from the rate of obstetric risk in the MOMA population, and rates of caesarean section in published work. FINDINGS: Three-quarters of women from hospitals of sub-Saharan Africa were delivered by caesarean section for maternal reasons. Such intervention was needed for six main reasons, protracted labour, abruptio placentae, previous caesarean section, eclampsia, placenta praevia, and malpresentation. Although the observed rate of caesarean section in west African women is 1.3%, our results, combined with those of published work suggest a range of 3.6-6.5% (median, 5.4%). INTERPRETATION: Our method might not be strictly accurate, but it is simple and provides informative findings that can help policy makers and health planners in sub-Saharan Africa to design and follow up programmes to reach the optimum caesarean section rate. Moreover, application of this method to hospital data could improve practitioners' assessments in these countries.

Africa South of the Sahara↗
PubMed2001

Dystocia: a study of its frequency and risk factors in seven cities of west Africa.

OBJECTIVES: To determine the incidence of dystocia in seven west African cities, to attempt to discover what, if any, factors at the prenatal visit might identify women at risk of dystocia, and to assess the utility of such screening. METHOD: This prospective population study of 20326 pregnant women in west Africa (MOMA) analyzed risk factors for dystocia on the basis of deliveries in health care facilities. RESULTS: Incidence of dystocia was 18.3%. In the multivariate analysis, the risk factors were small stature, previous cesarean, and nulliparity. As screening tools these factors have inadequate positive predictive values, either singly or combined. CONCLUSION: It is almost impossible to predict the occurrence of dystocia before the onset of labor. Therefore, labor must be carefully monitored, and there must be health care facilities available that can manage complications, especially cesarean deliveries. If such facilities are not accessible, an effective referral system must be established.

Africa, Western↗
PubMed2001

Postpartum return to smoking among usual smokers who quit during pregnancy.

BACKGROUND: Many women stop smoking while they are pregnant, but the majority resume smoking in the postpartum. The objective is to describe postpartum tobacco use of women who quit during pregnancy and factors predicting postpartum smoking relapse. METHODS: Secondary analysis of two surveys of new mothers. Survey A conducted in three maternity hospitals, including 685 women interviewed after birth and who answered a postal questionnaire at 5 months postpartum; survey B conducted in four 'départements' (administrative areas), including 636 women who answered a postal questionnaire at 6 months postpartum. Response rates were respectively 90% and 68%. Smoking status was recorded for three time periods: before pregnancy, during pregnancy, and at 5-6 months. Social characteristics and preventive behaviour were compared for regular smokers who had quit smoking during pregnancy and those who had not, and among quitters, who had resumed smoking postpartum and those who had not. RESULTS: In survey A, 37% were smokers before pregnancy, 34% of them stopped during pregnancy, and among the latter, 48% had resumed smoking 5-6 months after delivery. In survey B, the percentages were respectively 43, 54 and 57%. The most predictive factor of postpartum smoking relapse was the partner's smoking behaviour. CONCLUSION: Return to smoking after delivery is frequent, but nearly half of the regular smokers who had stopped during pregnancy were still non-smokers 5-6 months after the birth. However, to increase this proportion, interventions need to include partners, especially if they are smokers.

Adult↗
PubMed2001

Evaluation of the quality of care for severe obstetrical haemorrhage in three French regions.

OBJECTIVE: To determine what factors related to health services in France might explain substandard care of severe morbidity due to obstetric haemorrhage. DESIGN: Retrospective questionnaire survey. SETTING: Three administrative regions of France. POPULATION: All women who were pregnant or had recently given birth during the year before the survey. METHODS: A European survey (MOMS-B) defined severe haemorrhages as blood loss > or = 1500mL. A specific questionnaire was added in France to analyse the quality of care of these haemorrhages. The survey was carried out in three different administrative regions: Champagne-Ardenne, the Centre and Lorraine. An expert committee was appointed and began by establishing a framework for qualitative assessment. One hundred and sixty-five cases of severe haemorrhage were reviewed and classified into one of three levels of care: appropriate, inadequate or mixed. Inadequate care and 'mixed' care were both considered substandard. The 165 cases were coded and then studied with uni- and multivariate analysis (logistic regression with SAS and SPSS software). RESULTS: Of the 165 cases identified, 51% (85/165) were vaginal, 19% (31/165) operative vaginal, and 30% (49/165) caesarean. The leading cause of haemorrhage was uterine atony. Overall, 62% of the cases received appropriate care, 24% received totally inadequate care and 14% mixed care. After adjustment for sociodemographic factors, antenatal care and organisational aspects, the lack of a 24-hour on-site anaesthetist at the hospital and a low volume of deliveries (<500 births per year) were the factors associated with substandard care. CONCLUSION: Organisational features are so important that application of good clinical practices for safer motherhood reinforce the need for new organisation of obstetric services. For the first time, the presence of an anaesthetist is shown to have a measurable effect on the quality of care for women giving birth. These results need to be confirmed by others.

Adult↗
PubMed2001

Maternal mortality in West Africa. Rates, causes and substandard care from a prospective survey.

BACKGROUND: According to estimates of maternal mortality rates from WHO/UNICEF, the West African rates appear to be among the world's highest. The precision of these estimates from general mortality models is far from ideal and no information on the distribution of causes of death is provided. The principal objective of our study is to describe the maternal mortality, estimation of the rates and distribution of obstetric causes, from a population based survey of pregnant women carried out in West Africa. We also present the main characteristics of the deaths that occurred, including avoidable aspects. METHODS: The survey included all the pregnant women living in seven defined areas, from December 1994 through June 1996, depending on the area. Twenty thousand three hundred and twenty-six pregnant women (94.3% of all those identified) agreed to participate and 19,545 were followed throughout the second trimester of pregnancy, delivery and the puerperium. Physicians from the survey team made special enquiries about all maternal deaths. But the deaths occurring during the first months of pregnancy could not be estimated. A subcommittee analyzed all the deaths, assigned the underlying cause and discussed the avoidable aspects of the death. RESULTS: Sixty-six deaths were reported. Fifty-five (three late) were deaths due to obstetric causes; six were fortuitous deaths, and no cause could be defined for five. As a mean and for pregnancy after week 25, the maternal mortality rate was estimated at 311 (95% CI 234-404) per 100,000 live births and 852 (95% CI 456-1457) in rural areas. Hemorrhages accounted for 29% of obstetric deaths, uterine rupture 13%, eclampsia and infectious diseases 11% each. Seventy-four percent of the direct obstetric causes were considered avoidable. CONCLUSION: Confidential enquiries into maternal deaths in West Africa are not just a concern of the others. They are urgently requested to promote the improvement of health services.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2001

[Severe complications of pregnancy and delivery: the situation in Lorraine based on the European investigation].

The level of maternal mortality appears to be higher in France than in other European countries according to the data collected in the 1995 European survey. We performed a retrospective analysis of severe hemorrhage, pregnancy induced hypertension, and maternal sepsis in 1995 in the Lorraine region and reviewed the management scheme used in each case. There was one maternal death and 223 cases of severe maternal morbidity (110 cases of hemorrhage, 105 cases of pregnancy induced hypertension, 8 cases of maternal sepsis). The frequency of these maternal diseases was an estimated 8 per 1000 births. Ninety percent of the children (90.7%) were living 7 days after birth. Pregnancy after the age of 35 years, obesity, and an intermediate level of vocational training were well-documented high risk factors in the Lorraine area. All of the women who developed complications had been followed regularly during their pregnancy. High parity and a scarred uterus were high risk factors for post partum hemorrhage. About 45% (45.5%) of the patients were transferred to an emergency unit for intensive care. Pregnancy-induced hypertension was treated within the normal hospital network, most of the mothers being transferred to a reference center prior to delivery. This retrospective study demonstrates the need for reporting more information on medical records. The data observed improved our knowledge of the prevalence and management of the main causes of direct maternal death in the Lorraine area. It improved our knowledge on the prevalence and management of the main causes of direct maternal death in Lorraine area.

Adult↗
PubMed2001

[Maternal mortality and severe morbidity in 3 French regions: results of MOMS, a European multicenter investigation].

Maternal mortality rates vary between different European countries. One hypothesis put forward to explain such differences is the potential discrepancy in the incidence of the main obstetrical complications. A European concerted action designed to estimate the incidence of severe post partum hemorrhage (> 1.5 l), PET, and sepsis was carried out in 1995-96 (MOMS-B survey) using standardized definitions and the same questionnaire in all regions. In the 13 regions in Europe involved in the study, including Champagne-Ardenne, Center and Lorraine in France, 1843 cases of obstetrical complication were identified among 182,589 births. The overall mean rate of severe maternal morbidity was 10.1 for 1000 births. This rate was 8.0 for Lorraine, 6.7 for Champagne-Ardenne and 5.5 for Center. The rates of hemorrhage and PET in the United Kingdom, Belgium and Finland were twice the rates in France and Norway. The inverse was observed for sepsis. Such discrepancies between countries, despite the use of standardized definitions, raises several questions. Was the methodology correctly applied? Were threatening situations correctly assessed in France? Was disease severity assessed in the same way in all countries? Further studies would be required to answer these questions.

Europe↗
PubMed2001

[Maternal mortality in France: frequency, trends and causes].

Ten years ago the first epidemiological surveys on maternal mortality in France were carried out on the national level. In 1995, a National Committee of Medical Experts was created to conduct confidential inquiries into maternal deaths. It is thus useful to examine the general picture of maternal mortality in France drawn by the routinely and permanently collected data. These statistics are collected independently of the procedure adopted by the National Committee on confidential inquiries into maternal deaths. National death and cause-of-death registries have recorded maternal death rates for several years with data by age, area of residence, nationality, and direct or indirect obstetric causes. The low and underestimated rate of 8.5 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births recorded in 1989 increased regularly up to 1992. Currently the rates have been around 9 to 13 with no evidence of a declining trend. The larger urban area around Paris (Ile-de-France) has shown a statistically significant higher rate over the last several years. Post-partum hemorrhage remains the leading cause of maternal death. Compared with other European countries, maternal mortality in France is in an average position, similar to Great Britain (12 per 100,000), but higher than in Scandinavian countries. The elevated mean age of mothers at delivery is one explanation for the lack of a decline in the rate of maternal deaths expected until 2005 although further actions should be implemented to attempt to lower the rate to that observed in Scandinavian countries. A pertinent classification of causes of maternal deaths allowing valid international comparisons would be useful for helping answer the questions raised by clinicians.

Cause of Death↗
PubMed2000

[Trends in infant mortality in France: frequency and causes from 1950 to 1997].

OBJECTIVES: To present an analysis of the infant mortality trends and causes of death in France from the beginning of the 1950s, neonatal (0-27 days) and post-neonatal mortality (27-364 days) being considered separately. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We used the data from the national registries of births computed by INSEE (National Institute of Statistics and Economic Surveys) and of causes of deaths computed by Inserm (National Institute of Health and Medical Research). We analysed the evolution of the infant death rates from 1950 to 1997, the overall mortality for males and the percentages of causes of death at three different periods. RESULTS: Mortality has changed according to neonatal or post-neonatal ages. A constant improvement was recorded for neonatal mortality up to 1995 (2.9 per 1,000), while there was a stagnation for post-neonatal mortality between 1979 and 1993, followed by a sharp decrease (2.0 per 1,000 in 1995). During the neonatal age the main causes of death are conditions generated in the neonatal period and congenital abnormalities, both decreasing regularly; during the post-neonatal age the main cause is sudden infant death syndrome, which fell dramatically during the last four years. CONCLUSION: Several factors related to medical care, nursing and type of registration are contributing simultaneously to the important variations in mortality found in our results.

Cause of Death↗
PubMed2000

Risk factors for perinatal mortality in West Africa: a population-based study of 20326 pregnancies. MOMA group.

UNLABELLED: The aim of the study was to identify simple clinical risk factors for perinatal mortality (PNM) in different areas of West Africa, to quantify their prevalence among pregnant women and to estimate their relative contribution in the definition of high-risk status of PNM. The MOMA study was a prospective population-based study in which data were collected on 20 326 pregnant women in various, primarily urban, areas of Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast, Mali, Mauritania, Niger and Senegal. The present report analyses 19 870 singleton births and 31 simple clinical variables with univariate and multivariate methods. The mean PNM ratio was 42 per 1000 total births, and 62% of these deaths were stillbirths. In the crude analysis, after adjustment or taking prevalence into account, the principal risk factors were: vaginal bleeding (immediately antenatal and intrapartum), hypertension (especially during labour), dynamic (prolonged labour and use of oxytocin) and mechanic (non-cephalic presentation) dystocia, and infection (prolonged rupture of the membranes and intrapartum fever). CONCLUSIONS: Most of the principal risk factors for PNM cannot be detected during antenatal care visits but only in early labour. High-risk status should not be based solely on antenatal care visits, but should also take into account monitoring during labour.

Adult↗
PubMed2000

Maternal morbidity and mortality in two different populations of Senegal: a prospective study (MOMA survey).

OBJECTIVE: To compare maternal morbidity and mortality in two urban populations with contrasting availability of health care, and to test the hypothesis that differences in maternal outcome result mainly from the management of delivery in health facilities. DESIGN: A population-based study of a cohort of pregnant women which was part of a multicentre study of maternal morbidity in six countries of western Africa (MOMA). SETTING: Two different urban areas of Senegal (Saint-Louis and Kaolack). POPULATION: 3,777 pregnant women who were followed up throughout pregnancy, delivery and puerperium. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Maternal morbidity and mortality: morbidity was assessed from women's recall at each visit by the investigator and from obstetric complications diagnosed by the birth attendant within health facilities. RESULTS: Maternal mortality was higher in the Kaolack area where women gave birth mainly in district health care centres, usually assisted by traditional birth attendants, than in Saint-Louis where women giving birth in health facilities went principally to the regional hospital and were usually assisted by midwives (874 and 151 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births, respectively, P < 0 x 01). Maternal morbidity, however, was higher in Saint-Louis than in Kaolack area, especially for births in health facilities (9 x 50 and 4 x 84 episodes of obstetric complications per 100 live births, respectively, P < 0 x 01). Univariate and multivariate analyses showed that morbidity was mainly associated with the training of the birth attendant in facility deliveries and that antenatal care had no effect. CONCLUSION: Midwives in health facilities appear to detect more obstetric complications than traditional birth attendants. Immediate detection leads to immediate care and to low fatality rates. This could explain differences in maternal outcome between two urban centres with contrasting health care availability. These results suggest that one of the strongest weapons in the fight against maternal mortality is the employment of the most qualified personnel possible for monitoring labour.

Adult↗