Maternal Mortality - Causes and Prevention

Causes of Maternal Mortality

The main maternal mortality causes are the complications that happen at the time of pregnancy and childbirth. A lot of health-related issues can cause maternal death, most of which can even be prevented with proper medical care. Here are some common maternal death causes around the world:

1. Infection during delivery, labour, or abortion can be fatal and is known to cause 11% of all maternal deaths worldwide.

2. Severe form of vaginal bleeding also known as postpartum haemorrhage (PPH) is one of the most common maternal death causes in the world. This may occur after childbirth and can cause death if not treated properly. About 27% of all maternal deaths are caused by postpartum haemorrhage.

3. A blockage within lung artery referred to as pulmonary embolism (PE) can form after delivery and this can be fatal if not treated early. PE is responsible for nearly 9.2% of all maternal deaths and the risk of developing it is higher in the cases of C-section.

4. High blood pressure can pose several complications and without proper medical assessment it may eventually lead to death. Around 13.3 to 15.9% of maternal deaths are caused by hypertensive disorders.

5. Pregnancy termination or unsafe abortion procedures are a major cause of death among women. WHO reports around 4.7 to 13.2% of pregnancy-related deaths every year due to unsafe abortion.

Statistics Related To Maternal Mortality

The statistics related to maternal mortality vary across different parts of the world. For example, as per the SRS report of the 2016-18 period by the Registrar General of India (RGI), the country’s Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR) was 113 per 100,000 live births. On the other hand, around 295,000 deaths due to pregnancy and childbirth-related causes were reported around the globe, back in 2017.

Risk Factors of Maternal Mortality

There are a few factors that can impact the risk of maternal mortality among women. These risk factors include:

• Age

• Access to health resources

• Economic status

• Social background

• Parity

• Local/family’s cultural practices and beliefs

• Pre-existing health conditions

• Lack of information

• Quality of services

Prevention of Maternal Mortality

Most maternal death causes can easily be avoided with the help of the right preventive measures. Here are some points about maternal mortality prevention that you can follow:

1. Getting proper education about reproduction and pregnancy is important as correct knowledge can help make better choice in life.

2. Practicing self-hygiene and cleanliness can reduce the risk of developing infection & diseases which helps to lower chances of complications during pregnancy and childbirth.

3. Access to proper medical facilities is very important for prevention of maternal mortality as it can help eliminate various pregnancy-related challenges that can otherwise become fatal.

4. Getting the right pregnancy and postpartum care can help reduce several pregnancy-related issues. While frequent medical check-ups are necessary during pregnancy to help detect any issues at an early stage, doctor visits are also recommended after childbirth to prevent conditions like infections or abnormal bleeding from getting worse.

Where Do Maternal Deaths Occur?

Maternal deaths are more common in under-developed countries, or countries with a low per-capital income. A study conducted in 2020 found that the number of maternal deaths in countries with low income was about 0.43%, whereas, in countries with high income, this number was at 0.01%.

The Fragile State Index (FSI), an annual report published and supported by the Fund for Peace, marked some countries as “very high alert” and some as “high alert” in 2020 based on the conflicts happening in them. Those countries (from the highest to the lowest alert status) are Yemen, Somalia, South Sudan, the Syrian Arab Republic, the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Central African Republic, Chad, Sudan and Afghanistan.

The maternal mortality rates (MMRs) in these high-alert countries ranged from 30 (Syrian Arab Republic) to 1223 (South Sudan) in the single year of 2020. The average MMR for these countries was at a shocking 0.55% (551 deaths per 100000 people), which was more than two times the world’s average MMR.

How Can Women’s Lives Be Saved?

Here are some of the effective maternal mortality prevention measures to save women’s lives:

• Avoiding unplanned pregnancies

• Better access to safe abortion processes

• Good care post-abortion

• Access to professional healthcare facilities

• Early diagnosis of issues and treating them on time

• Injecting oxytocics soon after childbirth to prevent severe bleeding

• Practicing proper hygiene in the delivery room to avoid infections

• Immediate administration of magnesium sulphate for women experiencing pre-eclampsia symptoms to prevent convulsions and other serious issues