Effects of female genital mutilation on childbirth in Africa (2006)
This study is a Descriptive research regarding I,II,III FGM/C with the following characteristics:
Author(s): Emily Banks,Olav Meirik,Tim Farley,Oluwole Akande,Ibadan,Heli Bathija and Mohamed Ali
FGM/C Type(s): I,II,III
Health area of focus: Obstretic.
Objective: To explore effects of female genital mutilation on childbirth in Africa
Study Population: women who attended one of the hospitals for a singleton delivery
Findings: Of the women studied,25% had not undergone genital mutilation,24% had undergone type I,27% type II and 23% type III. As expected,the distribution of type varied according to the country,obstetric centre and background characteristics. Overall,6% of the women had to have a caesarean section,and 7% of vaginal deliveries were complicated by postpartum blood loss of 500 ml or more. The deliveries of women who had undergone genital mutilation were significantly more likely to be complicated by caesarean section,postpartum haemorrhage and prolonged maternal hospitalization than those of women who had not. Women who had undergone the most serious form of genital mutilation (type III) had a 30% higher risk for delivery by caesarean section than those who had not had genital mutilation. Similarly,women with type III mutilation had a 70% higher risk of postpartum haemorrhage than women who had not undergone genital mutilation. The proportion of women delivering for the first time who required an episiotomy ranged from 41% of those who had not undergone genital mutilation to 88% of those who had undergone type III. Among women who had had previous deliveries,the proportions were 14% and 61%,respectively. The rates of infant resuscitation and perinatal death were higher among infants born to women who had undergone genital mutilation than among those born to mothers who had not,and the severity of the adverse outcomes increased with the severity of female genital mutilation. Thus,the rate of resuscitation was 66% higher for infants of women who had undergone type III mutilation than for those who had no female genital mutilation. The death rates among infants during and immediately after birth were higher for those born to mothers with genital mutilation than those without,being 15% higher for women with type I,32% higher for those with type II and 55% higher for those with type III.
Geographical coverage
Region(s):Western Africa,Eastern Africa,Northern Africa
Country(ies):Burkina Faso,Ghana,Kenya,Nigeria,Senegal,Sudan