Hospital admissions during pregnancy in two urban areas of Ukraine

Hospital admissions are generally regarded as a marker of severe pregnancy complications, and a low ratio of antenatal admissions to deliveries is con sidered an indicator of maternal-fetal well-being. We investigated the reas ons for hospital admissions in a sample of deliveries from Ukraine, a count ry of the former eastern bloc. All hospitalisations were traced among 3099 women who delivered live singletons of at least 20 weeks gestation in two u rban areas of Ukraine and data were abstracted from their medical records. More than a third of the women were admitted to hospital during their pregn ancy, and 91% of the admissions were for a pregnancy complication, primaril y threatened abortion or early labour. Median length of stay for all admiss ions was 12 days. The ratio of admissions to deliveries was 52 per 100. The Ukrainian ratio of hospitalisations to deliveries is notably higher than a ny that have been published in studies from the United States and Australia , reflecting patterns of care that stress hospital-based treatment. This hi gh ratio does not necessarily mean that Ukrainian women are sicker, althoug h that may be the case. The comparison of hospitalisation to delivery ratio s is meaningful only when other factors, such as resources, patterns of car e, costs and access, are taken into account.