Credit bureaus and financial constraints do corruption matter?

This study aims to assess whether or not the presence of credit bureaus is associated with more or fewer financing constraints while considering the interfering effect of corruption in a sample of 18 countries in Eastern Europe and the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region during the period 2011-2014. We consider various financial constraint measures and corruption indices, and assess the stability of the relationship for different levels of economic development and corruption. The estimation outcomes suggest that countries with higher levels of corruption might produce less transparent and falsified information that would make access to sources of financing more difficult for firms. Our findings suggest that curbing corruption creates more efficient credit bureaus that, in turn, decrease financial constraints for firms. The subsample estimations confirm these findings and show that the higher and longer-term corruption in MENA countries than in Eastern European countries make credit bureaus' less effective, imposing more financial constraints. Our findings remain robust with different corruption indices and with the addition of new control variables such as firms' sales and size, government and exporting firms, and per-capita GDP, inflation, trade, population and human capital. 2022 Economic Research Forum.Scopu

Fetal death in utero: epidemiological aspects, management and maternal prognosis in the obstetrics and gynecology department of the community medical centre of Ratoma

Background: Fetal death in utero (FDIU) often represents a tragedy badly lived, sometimes incomprehensible. It is considered as a failure of pregnancy's progress and monitoring. It is a frequent problem in obstetrical practice. Objective of study was to contribute to the study of FDIU in the maternity ward of the Ratoma municipal medical center.Methods: This was a prospective study of analytical type conducted over a period of 6 months from 1 January to 30 June 2017.Results: During this study period, we recorded 54 cases of FDIU out of a total of 1256 deliveries, or a frequency of 4.3%. The average age of our patients was 28.5 years with extremes of 16 to 39 years, the most represented age group was 25 to 34 years, with a frequency of 44.4%. The absence of active fetal movement was the main reason for consultation, with a frequency of 51.9%, and housewives were the most affected, with a frequency of 61.1%. The 70.4% of our patients gave birth by vaginal delivery and oxytocin was the most commonly used drug for induction of labor, i.e., 77.8%. The immediate maternal prognosis was 100% favorable and no case of maternal death was recordedConclusions: In-utero fetal death is a frequent obstetrical pathology, the awareness of women for the realization of ANC as well as the early management of risk factors detected during ANC constitutes an element of great importance. Therefore, a regular follow-up of all pregnant women even in the absence of risk factors proves necessary