Maternal Mortality Flashcards
What is the classification of maternal mortality?
The death of a woman while pregnant or within 42 days of termination of pregnancy
What is maternal mortality irrespective of?
The duration and site of the pregnancy
What is maternal morbidity?
Severe health complications occurring in pregnancy and delivery not resulting in death
What is the maternal mortality ratio?
Number of maternal deaths during a given time period per 100 000 livebirths during same time period
What is the maternal mortality rate?
Number of maternal deaths in a given time period per 100 000 women of reproductive age, or woman-years of risk exposure, in same time period
What is the lifetime risk of maternal death?
Probability of maternal death during a woman’s reproductive life, usually expressed in terms of odds
What is the proportionate mortality ratio?
Maternal deaths as proportion of all female deaths of those of reproductive age—usually defined as 15–49 years—in a given time period.
What does the maternal mortality ratio indicate?
Risk associated with each pregnancy e.g. obstetric risk
What does the maternal mortality rate indicate?
Takes into account the obstetric risk and also the frequency with which women are exposed to that risk.
What does the lifetime risk of maternal death indicate?
Women’s chance of becoming pregnant as well as dying in pregnancy
What are the 3 ways that mothers can die?
Direct death
Indirect death
Late death
What is the direct way that mothers can die?
Obstetric complications during pregnancy, labour or puerperium (6 weeks) or resulting from any treatment received (87%)
What do direct deaths include?
Haemorrhage Sepsis Preeclampsia Obstructed labour Unsafe Abortion
What is the indirect way that mothers can die?
Associated with a disorder, the effect of which is exacerbated by pregnancy
What do indirect deaths include?
Malaria
What is classed as a late death in terms of mothers?
≥42 days but within one year after end of pregnancy
What is the 3 delays model?
Delay in decision to seek care
Delay in reaching care
Delay in receiving care
What does a delay in decision to seek care include?
- Lack of understanding of complications
- Acceptance of maternal death
- Socio-cultural barriers to seeking care
- Low social status of women
What does a delay in reaching care include?
- Geography: Mountains, islands, rivers
* Lack of transport
What does a delay in receiving care include?
- Supplies, personnel
* Poorly trained personnel with punitive attitudes
What are some ways that maternal mortality can be avoided?
Antenatal care
Skilled attendant at birth
Emergency obstetric care
What does antenatal care include?
- 4 visits
- Monitoring weight
- Blood pressure and proteinuria
- Folic acid
- Malaria prophylaxis
What does emergency obstetric care include?
- Clean delivery
- Active management of 3rd stage
- Parenteral antibiotics/ oxytocics/ magnesium sulphate
- Manual removal of placenta/ products of conception
- Blood transfusion
- Caesarean section / operative delivery
What is a stillbirth?
Birth of a dead baby after 20/ 24/ 28 weeks of gestation or weighing more than 500 g
