Abstract : A retrospective study was undertaken to assess the effect of various abortion practices on maternal health. The study was based on the medical files of all 472 women admitted to an obstetrics department in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, for abortion complications during a 3-year period (1993-95). The medical records of the sociodemographic and medical characteristics of women upon admission were assessed. Results demonstrated that the introduction of plant stems into the uterus was the most frequently used abortion method (31%), followed by herbal pessaries (23%) and plant infusions (20%). About 17 maternal deaths were registered, giving a maternal mortality rate of 3.6%. A high number of previous pregnancies and the ingestion of plants to provoke abortion were the factors associated with the highest risk of maternal death. Furthermore, complications resulting from local abortion methods accounted for a high proportion of maternal deaths. From the results, it was found that the potential lethal risks associated with local abortion methods were high. These results suggest that more rapid and efficient hospitalization in abortion cases and greater access to family planning would reduce the rate of maternal mortality in Ivory Coast.
Source : Abstract from CONTRACEPTION, V60(2): 107-109, Goyaux N et al: "Abortion complications in Abidjan (Ivory Coast) © 1999 Elsevier Inc.