Maternal And Perinatal Mortality

Question 1

What is maternal mortality?

Answer 1

The death of a women while pregnant or within 42 days of termination of pregnancy

Excludes accidental or incidental causes.

Question 2

What is maternal morbidity?

Answer 2

Severe health complications which occur in pregnancy and/or delivery which DON’T result in death.

Question 3

How often is there a maternal death?

Answer 3

1 every 2 minutes.

Question 4

What are the types of maternal death?

Answer 4

Direct maternal death
indirect maternal death
late maternal death

Question 5

What is direct maternal death?

Answer 5

Death related to obstetric complication during pregnancy, labour or puerperium (6 weeks)

Question 6

What are common causes of direct maternal death?

Answer 6

Haemorrhage
Sepsis
Pre-eclampsia
Obstructed labour
Unsafe abortion

Question 7

What is an indirect maternal death?

Answer 7

When a mother has a pre-existing health condition which is exacerbated by pregnancy

Question 8

What are common causes of indirect maternal death?

Answer 8

Malaria

Congenital heart disease

Question 9

How common are direct and indirect maternal deaths?

Answer 9

Direct - 87% of all maternal deaths.

Indirect - 13% of all maternal deaths.

Question 10

What are late maternal deaths?

Answer 10

Over 42 days after birth/termination but within 1 year after the end of pregnancy

Question 11

What are common causes of late maternal death?

Answer 11

Malignancy
Suicide
Drugs and alcohol
Cardiac disease

Question 12

What are common causes of maternal deaths worldwide?

Answer 12

Haemorrhage
Unsafe abortion
Hypertensive disorders

Question 13

What is perinatal death?

Answer 13

Death of the foetus (stillbirth) or neonate.

Question 14

What is a stillbirth?

Answer 14

birth of a dead baby after 24 weeks gestation or weighing more than 500g

Question 15

What is an early neonatal death?

Answer 15

Death of a baby within the first week of life.

Question 16

What is infant mortality?

Answer 16

Death of an infant within the first year of life.

Question 17

What is child mortality?

Answer 17

Death of a child within the first 5 years of life.

Question 18

What are the rates of stillbirth in black ethnicity in comparison to white ethnicity?

Answer 18

Twice as many stillbirths if you are of black ethnicity compared to if you are white ethnicity.

Question 19

What are common causes of stillbirth?

Answer 19

Unknown (most common)
Placental failure
Infection
intrapartum 
congenital anomaly

Question 20

Where do most babies die?

Answer 20

Children in sub saharan Africa - 14x more likely to die before 5yrs than children developed regions