Evidence map›Paper›PMID 33863756›Full record

ArticleBMJ global health2021

The effectiveness of maternity waiting homes in reducing perinatal mortality: a case-control study in Ethiopia.

Teresa Dalla Zuanna, Marco Fonzo, Milena Sperotto, Carlo Resti, Ademe Tsegaye, Gaetano Azzimonti, Fabio Manenti, Giovanni Putoto, Chiara Bertoncello

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in BMJ global health, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 10 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
10citing papers in PubMed, 2 pooled it
2.7field-weighted citation impact, top 11% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

10 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 12 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Perinatal mortality in eastern Africa: A systematic review and meta-analysis.International journal of gynaecology and obstetrics: the official organ of the International Federation of Gynaecology and Obstetrics · 2026
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.

Teresa Dalla ZuannaHygiene and Public Health Unit, Department of Cardiac Thoracic and Vascular Sciences and Public Health, University of Padua, Padua, Italy.ORCID 0000-0003-1244-404X
Marco FonzoHygiene and Public Health Unit, Department of Cardiac Thoracic and Vascular Sciences and Public Health, University of Padua, Padua, Italy marco.fonzo@unipd.it.ORCID 0000-0002-9561-0711
Milena SperottoHygiene and Public Health Unit, Department of Cardiac Thoracic and Vascular Sciences and Public Health, University of Padua, Padua, Italy.
Carlo RestiSaint Luke Hospital, Wolisso, Ethiopia.
Ademe TsegayeAddis Ababa Coordination Office, Doctors with Africa CUAMM, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Gaetano AzzimontiHeadquarters, Doctors with Africa CUAMM, Padua, Italy.
Fabio ManentiHeadquarters, Doctors with Africa CUAMM, Padua, Italy.
Giovanni PutotoHeadquarters, Doctors with Africa CUAMM, Padua, Italy.
Chiara BertoncelloHygiene and Public Health Unit, Department of Cardiac Thoracic and Vascular Sciences and Public Health, University of Padua, Padua, Italy.
University of Padua · ITDoctors with Africa Cuamm · IT

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThe 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development aims to reduce neonatal mortality to at least 12 per 1000 live births. Most of the causes can be prevented or cured. Access to quality healthcare during pregnancy and labour is the key to reduce perinatal deaths, and maternity waiting homes (MWHs) may have an impact, especially for women who live far from the healthcare system. We conducted a case-control study to evaluate the effectiveness of MWH in reducing perinatal mortality in a secondary hospital in Ethiopia.

methodsWe did a nested case-control study from January 2014 through December 2017. The enrolled cases were mothers whose childbirth resulted in stillbirth or early neonatal death. The controls were mothers with an alive baby at 7 days or with an alive baby on discharge. We collected demographic, anamnestic, pregnancy-related and obstetric-related data. The effectiveness of the MWH on perinatal death was assessed by a logistic regression model, adjusted for all other variables investigated as potential confounders. We also did a sensitivity analysis to explore the role of twin pregnancies.

resultsWe included 1175 cases and 2350 controls. The crude analysis showed a protective effect of the MWH towards perinatal mortality (OR=0.700; 95% CI: 0.505 to 0.972), even more protective after adjustment for confounders (adjusted OR (AOR)=0.452; 95% CI: 0.293 to 0.698). Sensitivity analyses showed a consistent result, even excluding twin pregnancies (AOR=0.550; 95% CI: 0.330 to 0.917).

conclusionMWHs appear to reduce perinatal mortality by 55%. Our findings support the decision to invest in MWH to support pregnant women with higher quality and more comprehensive healthcare strategy, including quality antenatal care in peripheral primary care clinics, where risk factors can be recognised and women can be addressed for admission to MWH.

Indexed as

Maternal Health ServicesPerinatal DeathCase-Control StudiesEthiopiaFemaleHumansInfantInfant, NewbornPerinatal MortalityPregnancycase–control studymaternal health

Identifiers

PMID33863756
PMCPMC8055136
OpenAlexW3153281524

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY-NC
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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.