Is there seasonality in deliveries on the Plateau

Objective - To determine if there are seasonal variations in delivery rates in JUTH, Jos, Plateau state, Nigeria Material and Methods - This is a retrospective descriptive study carried out in JUTH, Jos, Nigeria. The monthly delivery records from 1985-2011 (26 years) were extracted from the labour ward delivery record. The figures were analyzed for monthly variation in delivery rates. Results - The total number of deliveries during the study period was 65,086. The monthly distribution showed a sinusoidal pattern with peak rates in Sept- Oct. and lowest in Feb-March. Conclusion - There is a seasonal variation in delivery rate on the Plateau. This information will will help in health system planning. Keywords - seasonal variation, delivery rate, Jos Plateau