Obstetric fistula in low-resource countries: an under-valued and under-studied problem--systematic review of its incidence, prevalence, and association with stillbirth.

Background: Obstetric fistula (OF) is a serious consequence of prolonged, obstructed labor in settings where emergency obstetric care is limited, but there are few reliable, population-based estimates of the rate of OF. Stillbirth (SB) is another serious consequence of prolonged, obstructed labor, yet the frequency of SB in women with OF is poorly described. Here, we review these data.