Obstetric Causes Of Death Research Articles

Maternal mortality — a twelve-year survey at the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital (U.I.T.H.) Ilorin, Nigeria

This paper concerns an analysis of maternal death at the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital (U.I.T.H.) Ilorin over a 12-year period (1972–1983). There were 138,577 births and 624 deaths making a maternal mortality rate of 4.50 per 1000 births. Hemorrhage, ruptured uterus and obstructed labor were the major direct obstetric causes of death. The most important indirect causes were cerebrospinal meningitis, pulmonary infections and fulminating hepatitis. The main avoidable factors were ineffective and cumbersome blood transfusion services; poor management of the third stage of labor; large number of unbooked patients and poor delivery room structure encouraging sepsis. Suggestions are made for a more integrated type of maternity services in our hospital, health education programs for the public and particularly the expectant women and availability of an effective blood bank service within the maternity hospital premises for prompt treatment of patients requiring emergency blood transfusion. The analysis underlines the great problem of maternal mortality in the developing world.

Maternal mortality in the American University of Beirut Medical Center (AUBMC) 1971–1982

Maternal deaths were reviewed at the American University of Beirut Medical Center (AUBMC) during an 11-year period, 1971–1982. There were 35,058 live births and 45 deaths making a maternal mortality rate of 128 per 100,000 live births. Hemorrhage, sepsis and toxemia were the main direct obstetric causes of death. The most important indirect causes were cerebrovascular accidents and heart disease. In this review, an analytic discussion of the direct and indirect causes of maternal death in Lebanon are presented and preventive measures are discussed.