Obstetric and neonatal outcomes of women with FGM I and II in San Camillo Hospital, Burkina Faso.

PURPOSE: Female genital mutilation (FGM) is still performed in the world. Women who underwent FGM have marked psychological, gynecological and obstetric consequences. This article contributes to the spread of knowledge about obstetric and neonatal outcomes in women with FGM I and II.

METHODS: Our observational study compared the obstetric outcomes of 85 women with FGM I and II (case group) and 95 women without it (control group). We evaluated age, need of oxytocin during labor, duration of the expulsion phase, need of episiotomy, weight of the newborn, Apgar score at birth, resuscitation of the newborn, stillbirth. We observed the rate of cesarean sections and their main indications. We compared the rate of cesarean sections among the cases and the controls.

RESULTS: Controls were younger than women who underwent FGM. Intravenous oxytocin injection was higher in cases. The expulsion phase was longer in women with FGM than in the controls. FGM is related to a higher risk of episiotomy. Apgar score 9/10 was more frequently assigned to babies from mothers without FGM. There were more resuscitated babies and more stillbirth in the group of cases. Ten percent of all women underwent cesarean section. FGM is related to a higher incidence of cesarean section.

CONCLUSION: FGM is associated with a higher risk of gynecological and obstetrical consequences, acting on women's health and also on the economy of resource limited countries. Because of migration, health professionals could interface with women who underwent FGM and have to know their related complications.