Maternal Disease in Pregnancy

Question 1

Define maternal death (WHO 2010)

Answer 1

Death of a women while pregnant or within 42 days of the end of the pregnancy from any cause related to or aggravated by the pregnancy or its management, but not from accidental or incidental causes.

Question 2

Define direct and indirect maternal deaths

Answer 2

Direct deaths:
Deaths resulting from obstetric complications of the pregnant state (pregnancy, labour and puerperium) E.g preclampsia, genital tract sepsis, haemorrhage

Indirect deaths:
Deaths resulting from previous existing disease, or disease that developed during pregnancy and which was not the result of direct obstetric causes, but which was aggravated by the physiological effects of pregnancy. E.g cardiac disease, other infections, epilepsy

Question 3

What percentage of worldwide deaths are direct?

Answer 3

80%