Effect of Grand Multiparity on the Adverse Birth Outcome: A Hospital-Based Prospective Cohort Study in Sidama Region, Ethiopia.

Background: Adverse birth outcome is associated with grand multiparity and is still a major public health problem in developing countries. There is limited information that investigates the effect of grand multiparity on perinatal outcomes in a prospective follow-up design in Ethiopia. Therefore, this study was aimed to investigate the effect of grand multiparity on the occurrence of adverse perinatal outcomes in the Sidama Region of Ethiopia.

Methods: We conducted a prospective follow-up study among 837 women who gave birth in selected public hospitals of the Sidama Region from January 1 to August 31, 2021. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire and medical record review. A modified Poisson regression model with robust standard errors was applied to estimate the adjusted risk ratio and its 95% CI of the risk factors for adverse perinatal outcomes to examine the association of the multi-parities with the adverse birth outcome. STATA Version 14 was used for analysis.

Results: The overall cumulative incidence of adverse perinatal outcomes was 33% (95% CI: 29.9%, 36.4%). After adjusted for confounders, women with grand multiparity gave birth to babies with a higher risk of stillbirth (ARR = 1.6; 95% CI: 1.01-2.51), macrosomia (ARR = 1.6; 95% CI: 1.23-2.07), and preterm birth (ARR = 1.3; 95% CI: 1.1-1.66) compared to their counterparts.

Conclusion: High incidences of adverse perinatal outcomes occurred among women with grand multiparity. We recommend that the region and districts health bureau should give close monitoring for pregnant women with high parity throughout their prenatal, intrapartum, and postpartum periods.