Examining the Impact of Perinatal Deaths on the Mothers in the Tamale Metropolis, Northern Ghana

Perinatal loss has serious implications on the lives of the affected women and sometimes on the family. However, not much is known in the empirical literature, especially in the Tamale Metropolitan area. This paper sets out to examine the impact of neonatal deaths on women. The study was conducted in three major hospitals in Tamale and involved 384 women and 10 medical officers. The study employed mainly interviews, questionnaires and a review of secondary data including hospital records. The study found that, apart from the emotional trauma, affected women sometimes suffer stigma and are subjected to traditional rituals in order to ‘cleans’ them. The women also entertained the fear of getting a miscarriage or suffering from perinatal death in the future, the study recommends counseling and sensitization for pregnant women to avoid future perinatal deaths.