Perceptions of pregnancy complications in Haiti

Objective To determine the incidence of perceived pregnancy complications and associated factors.

Methods During a census, 450 women identified themselves as pregnant and 388 were interviewed postpartum.

Results Complications were reported by 58.6%. Bleeding post-delivery was the most frequent complication (42.5%), followed by great pain (33.8%), bleeding during pregnancy (20.1%), and fever post-delivery (11.6%). Prenatal care at either a dispensary or a clinic was associated with reports of bleeding during pregnancy (odds ratio [OR] 9.06; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.71–48.00 and OR 7.58; 95% CI, 1.53–37.48, respectively). Women who visited a doctor were less likely to report bleeding during pregnancy (OR 0.20; 95% CI, 0.08–0.55) or fever post-delivery (P = 0.015). Herb use was associated with reported bleeding during pregnancy (OR 2.22; 95% CI, 1.12–4.40) and great pain (OR 1.94; 95% CI, 1.05–3.58).

Conclusion The perceived pregnancy complication rate in Haiti is high and is associated with access to health care. The association between use of herbs and pregnancy complications warrants investigation.