T. S. Meena1, S. Nalina2
BACKGROUND Maternal mortality is a reflection of the care given to women by its society. It is tragic that deaths occur during the natural process of child birth and most of them are preventable. This study was done to evaluate the maternal mortality in our hospital, to assess causes of maternal mortality, and to suggest recommendations for improvement.
OBJECTIVE
We sought to examine aetiology and preventability of maternal death in a series of 15093 deliveries at a tertiary care centre in Chennai from 1st January 2015 to 31st December 2015.
STUDY DESIGN
This is a retrospective study based on medical records of all maternal deaths in this time period combined with verbal autopsy of the relatives of the victims and audit meetings conducted in the institution.
RESULTS
31 maternal deaths occurred among 15093 live births (205/1,00,000 live births). Leading causes of maternal deaths were complications of pre-eclampsia (33%), cardiac diseases complicating pregnancies (19%), obstetrical haemorrhage (16%), thromboembolism (10%) and others including anaemia and its complication, sepsis and non-obstetric infection.
CONCLUSION Timely monitoring/ management during antenatal and intra-natal period would substantially reduce maternal mortality.
