ACTA FAC. MED. NAISS. 2006; 23 (3): 135-137

   Original article

Dragan Krstic, Jelena Krstic. Slavko Krstic, Dragana Mitic-Kocic

Gynecology and Perinatology Department of Leskovac General Hospital

    SUMMARY

   The aim of the paper was to investigate the impact of stress on incidence of major miscarriages during the bombing of the FR of Yugoslavia. The data have been collected retrospectively from the official fetal death records of the Leskovac District Health Center and processed using x² test. The Leskovac Health Center is the only hospital providing medical services to 250,000 residents of the Jablanica District in the South of Serbia.. The study includes 81 cases of spontaneous miscarriage after the 12^th week, and with fetus weight under 1,000 grams, in the period between March 24 – June 9 of the year before, during and the year after air attacks in 1999. Data on miscarriages in the embryonic period are not included in the survey since there are no reliable sources in our databases. A significant increase in the incidence of spontaneous miscarriages after the 12^th week of gestation is registered in the period of bombardment compared to the same period the year before. A significant increase in the incidence in the year after the bombardment would be more in accord with the results obtained from the Gulf War published in America and Kuwait. In that respect, there are only indications in our study proving that direct consequences of stress on pregnancy are considerable. The mechanism of stress considerably increased the incidence of spontaneous miscarriages but only during the bombardment.

Key words: war, stress, pregnancy, miscarriage