Table 3 Vague interpretation of key terms compared to international definitions

Miscarriage (International definition)

• A spontaneous loss of pregnancy (embryo or fetus) before 22 completed weeks of gestation

• Also referred to as spontaneous abortion

Source: [34]

Miscarriage: vague or unclear definitions from study participants (quoted verbatim)

• Being sure that you are pregnant and all of a sudden blood starts flowing plus the fetus

• …a disease which comes when a lady is pregnant for example due to much malaria

• When someone is pregnant and fails to reach the age of birth

• Loss, losing a pregnancy

• Losing a pregnancy when you didn’t want to

• Child coming out when it’s not the right time

• A baby coming out when it has not made 9 months

• Losing pregnancy either early on or later due to diseases like malaria or heavy work

Stillbirths (International definition)

Baby born with no signs of life at 22 or more completed weeks of gestation

Source: [3]

Stillbirths: vague or unclear definitions from study participants

• Babies who have died

• Giving birth to a child who has died

• “It was somehow hard to answer because I don’t understand that word stillbirths”