What are the four major causes of maternal death?

The major complications that account for nearly 75% of all maternal deaths are (4):
  • severe bleeding (mostly bleeding after childbirth)
  • infections (usually after childbirth)
  • high blood pressure during pregnancy (pre-eclampsia and eclampsia)
  • complications from delivery.
  • unsafe abortion.


What is the number one cause of maternal mortality?

During pregnancy, hemorrhage and cardiovascular conditions are the leading causes of death. At birth and shortly after, infection is the leading cause.

When do most maternal deaths occur?

52 percent occur after delivery, or postpartum:
  • 19 percent of all maternal deaths occur between one and six days postpartum.
  • 21 percent of all maternal deaths are between one and six weeks postpartum.


What is the major cause of pregnancy-related maternal death in the United States?

The leading underlying causes of pregnancy-related death include: Mental health conditions (including deaths to suicide and overdose/poisoning related to substance use disorder) (23%) Excessive bleeding (hemorrhage) (14%) Cardiac and coronary conditions (relating to the heart) (13%)

What are the most common direct causes of maternal injury and death?

The most common direct causes of maternal injury and death are excessive blood loss, infection, high blood pressure, unsafe abortion, and obstructed labour, as well as indirect causes such as anemia, malaria, and heart disease.


Maternal Mortality Causes and its Factors



What are the top 3 causes of maternal deaths?

The major complications that account for nearly 75% of all maternal deaths are (4): severe bleeding (mostly bleeding after childbirth) infections (usually after childbirth) high blood pressure during pregnancy (pre-eclampsia and eclampsia)

What are the 5 causes of maternal death?

Primary causes of maternal death
  • Pre-existing maternal disease Cardiac disease e.g. rheumatic valve disease. ...
  • Non-pregnancy related sepsis AIDS. ...
  • Ectopic pregnancy.
  • Abortion Septic abortion. ...
  • Pregnancy related sepsis Amniotic fluid infection with ruptured membranes. ...
  • Antepartum haemorrhage Abruptio placenta.


Who is most at risk for maternal death?

Rates increased with maternal age. Rates in 2020 were 13.8 deaths per 100,000 live births for women under age 25, 22.8 for those aged 25–39, and 107.9 for those aged 40 and over (Figure 2 and Table). The rate for women aged 40 and over was 7.8 times higher than the rate for women under age 25.


Which US state has the highest maternal mortality rate?

Louisiana, on the other hand, has a shocking 58.1 maternal deaths per 100,000 births, the highest in America.

Who has the highest maternal mortality rate?

Sub-Saharan Africans suffer from the highest maternal mortality ratio – 533 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births, or 200,000 maternal deaths a year.

How common is death due to childbirth?

Sadly, about 700 women die each year in the United States as a result of pregnancy or delivery complications. During pregnancy, a woman's body goes through many changes. These changes are entirely normal, but may become very important in case there are complications or problems.


What causes death of mother during pregnancy?

Heart disease and stroke cause most deaths overall. Obstetric emergencies, like severe bleeding and amniotic fluid embolism (when amniotic fluid enters a mother's bloodstream), cause most deaths at delivery. In the week after delivery, severe bleeding, high blood pressure and infection are most common.

What are the three delays in maternal mortality?

Three delays:
  • Delay in the decision to seek care (Seeking care);
  • Delay arrival at a health facility (Reaching care); and.
  • Delay in obtaining the adequate treatment (Receiving care)


How is maternal death prevented?

Eliminate racial and ethnic disparities in maternal mortality. Invest in and partner with communities. Ensure access to care for all pregnant and postpartum persons. Ensure quality care for all pregnant and postpartum persons.


What is the most common complication of pregnancy?

What are some common complications of pregnancy?
  • High Blood Pressure. High blood pressure, also called hypertension, occurs when arteries carrying blood from the heart to the body organs are narrowed. ...
  • Gestational Diabetes. ...
  • Infections. ...
  • Preeclampsia. ...
  • Preterm Labor. ...
  • Depression & Anxiety. ...
  • Pregnancy Loss/Miscarriage.


What state has the best maternal care?

Ranked number one, Massachusetts ranked highest in OB-GYN availability and prenatal care access. The state also has one of the lowest infant mortality rates in the country.

Which state has lowest maternal mortality rate?

Kerala has yet again emerged on top when it comes to maternal and child health, with the State recording the lowest Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR) of 30 (per one lakh live births) in the country. This puts Kerala way ahead of the national MMR of 103.


Which country has the best maternal health?

Statistically, France does well for moms, with 99% of women receiving at least one pre-natal visit and delivery care coverage from a skilled attendant. The risk of maternal death is low, at 1 in 6,600, as well as an under-5 mortality rate of four.

What makes a mother high risk?

Smoking cigarettes, drinking alcohol and using illegal drugs can put a pregnancy at risk. Maternal health problems. High blood pressure, obesity, diabetes, epilepsy, thyroid disease, heart or blood disorders, poorly controlled asthma, and infections can increase pregnancy risks.

Who is considered high risk pregnancy?

A high-risk pregnancy is one in which a woman and her fetus face a higher-than-normal chance of experiencing problems. These risks may be due to factors in the pregnancy itself, or they may stem from preexisting maternal medical conditions, such as cancer, diabetes, or lupus.


Who delivers a high risk pregnancy?

A: A maternal-fetal medicine specialist (perinatologist) receives a traditional obstetrics and gynecology education but with an additional three years of training to learn how to treat medical complications that are related to pregnancy.

What is the main cause of baby death?

Causes of Infant Mortality

Preterm birth and low birth weight. Sudden infant death syndrome. Injuries (e.g., suffocation). Maternal pregnancy complications.

What is lifetime risk of maternal death?

Metadata Glossary. Life time risk of maternal death is the probability that a 15-year-old female will die eventually from a maternal cause assuming that current levels of fertility and mortality (including maternal mortality) do not change in the future, taking into account competing causes of death.


Why is maternal mortality difficult?

Maternal mortality is difficult to measure. Vital registration and health information systems in most developing countries are weak, and thus, cannot provide an accurate assessment of maternal mortality.