Changing trends in maternal mortality over a decade.
OBJECTIVE
To study the change in trend in maternal mortality over the last decade and to find out specific causes of death.


METHODS
A retrospective study was carried out at Lady Harding Medical College, New Delhi, to analyze the causes of maternal deaths. The admission ledgers of patients admitted over two 3-year periods (1979-1981 and 1989-1991) were studied to ascertain the total number of maternal deaths and the specific causes of death.


RESULTS
One hundred fifty-eight deaths occurred during 1979-1981 and 149 deaths during 1989-1991. During the same period there were 23,098 and 37,763 total births, respectively, the overall maternal mortality rate thus significantly declining from 684/100,000 total births in 1979-1981 to 394/100,000 total births in 1989-1991. Sepsis followed by hemorrhage and hepatitis were the leading causes of maternal deaths over the decade.


CONCLUSIONS
Health education and availability of health services, largely at a community level, would contribute to reducing the incidence of preventable causes of maternal deaths such as sepsis and hemorrhage.
Juneja
Y
Y
Lady Harding Medical College, New Delhi, India.
Goel
U
U
Sood
M
M
D001723:Birth Rate / Q000639:trends; D002423:Cause of Death; D005260:Female; D006266:Health Education; D006297:Health Services Accessibility; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007194:India / Q000453:epidemiology; D008428:Maternal Mortality / Q000639:trends*; D010343:Patient Admission / Q000706:statistics & numerical data / Q000639:trends; D011159:Population Surveillance; D011322:Primary Prevention; D012189:Retrospective Studies