Violent deaths of pregnant women in Egyptian governorates of Cairo and Giza

Abstract

BackgroundPregnancy-associated deaths are a widely recognized phenomenon, that warrants in-depth investigation. Of the 319 suspicious deaths of adult women (>20 years) autopsied during 2011–2012, in the Cairo and Giza governorates, 37 (11.7%) women were pregnant at the time of the autopsy. This paper analyzes the corresponding demographic data, autopsy findings, and toxicological screening. The resultsReveal that the number of deaths of pregnant women were higher in 2012 than in 2011. In addition, the number of cases from Giza exceeded those from Cairo (62.2% and 37.8%, respectively). Most cases involved married women (62.2%) in the third trimester of pregnancy (67.5%). Most deaths were predominantly un-intentional (51.4%) attributed to peri-partum complications. Homicidal deaths contributed to 43% of cases, and the husband was the suspect perpetrator in 37.5% of cases. Only two cases were associated with substance abuse. Conclusionthe paper concludes that this analysis may inform future strategies to protect pregnant women from the hazards of violence and labor that threaten their lives.