This was a prospective study from December 2012 to December 2013 which was conducted at M.G.M. Medical College and M.Y. Hospital, Indore, Madhya Pradesh, India, in the Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology. All the patients are having fetal death beyond 20 weeks of gestation and/or birth weight >500 g were included in the study. Maternal and fetal outcome were analyzed. Mode of delivery and associated complications were studied.

Results:

Total numbers of deliveries were 13500. Incidence of intrauterine death (IUD) at our center was 38.30 per 1000. 68.83% were antepartum, and 36.17% were intrapartum. Congenital malformations were responsible for 12.77% cases. Among the identifi able causes, placental causes (17.99%), and hypertensive disorders (15.47%) were most common followed by severe anemia (6.58%). The most devastating complication of IUD was disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) found in 28 patients (5.42%).

Conclusion:

The present study has emphasized upon the need for augmentation of health services for the pregnant mother, because the extra attention paid to the mother during the pregnant state goes a long way in improving both maternal and fetal survival. The majority of fetal deaths in our study could have been prevented by appropriate antenatal and intranatal care. Decrease in the incidence of IUD would signifi cantly reduce the perinatal mortality.