Amniotic fluid infections in an African city.

Amniotic fluid infections were the most common cause of perinatal death in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia (21.8/1,000 live births). Most such infections appear to originate in the fetal membranes near the cervical os. The high rate of spread of these local infections into the amniotic fluid in Addis Ababa appears related to a lack of antimicrobial activity in amniotic fluids. Factors that adversely affected nutrition in the gravid woman, lack of prenatal medical care, and low water usage were associated with the high rate of fatal infections.