Determinants of Stillbirth among Mothers Who Gave Birth in Bahir Dar City Public Hospitals, Northwest, Ethiopia

Abstract Background Stillbirth is a devastating adverse pregnancy outcome that imposes direct, indirect, and intangible costs on women, their families, healthcare providers, governments, and society at large. Efforts to reduce stillbirth rates are often hindered by an incomplete understanding of the underlying risk factors. Objective This study aimed to identify determinants of stillbirth among mothers who gave birth in public hospitals of Bahir Dar city, Amhara region, Northwest Ethiopia, in 2021. Methods An institution-based, unmatched, retrospective case-control study was conducted through medical record review of 441 mothers (147 cases and 294 controls) from April 1–30, 2021. Mothers’ charts with stillbirths and live births were included as cases and controls, respectively. Data were collected using a structured checklist, selected via simple random sampling, coded in EpiData version 3.1, and analyzed in SPSS version 23. Binary logistic regression was used to estimate crude odds ratios (COR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI), while multivariable logistic regression identified independent predictors. Statistical significance was set at p < 0.05. Results Determinants of stillbirth included referral from other health facilities [AOR = 1.89, 95% CI: 1.00–3.56], hypertensive disorders during pregnancy [AOR = 3.48, 95% CI: 1.83–6.64], antepartum hemorrhage [AOR = 6.10, 95% CI: 2.45–15.13], previous history of stillbirth [AOR = 3.91, 95% CI: 1.30–17.75], preterm delivery [AOR = 2.15, 95% CI: 1.08–4.26], and low birth weight [AOR = 4.10, 95% CI: 1.89–8.91]. Conclusion Stillbirth in the study area was significantly associated with referral status, previous history of stillbirth, hypertensive disorders, antepartum hemorrhage, preterm delivery, and low birth weight. Addressing these risk factors requires expanding and decentralizing emergency obstetric services, strengthening antenatal screening and management, and improving the referral system.