Profile of Caesarian Section in Orotta Maternity Hospital

Maternal mortality has been steadily decreasing in Eritrea from estimates as high as 998 per 100,000 births in the 1995 survey to as low as 450 per 100,000 births in 2005. Delivering more women by caesarian section is one of the possible explanations that could have lead to this outcome. To examine the scientific plausibility of the practice of caesarian section in Eritrea, the practice of the procedure in the National Referral Maternity Hospital of Orotta was studied. This study found that the rate of caesarian section (11.2%), the indication of the procedure, the type of anesthesia used and the neonatal outcome was medically acceptable and comparable to international standards. It is recommended that more women, particularly those who live in remote villages of Eritrea, should be provided with the opportunity of being delivered by caesarian sections to avoid obstetric morbidities like fistula and decrease maternal and neonatal mortality.