title: Causes of reproductive age mortality in low socioeconomic settlements of Karachi.
abstract: The Maternal and Infant Mortality Survey (MIMS) was conducted in eight squatter settlements of Karachi. The female mortality rate was 151.0 per 100,000 women aged 10-49 years and the maternal mortality ratio was 281 per 100,000 livebirths. The leading causes of deaths among women were complications of pregnancy (28.1%), infectious diseases (24.8%), cardiovascular diseases (20.7%), neoplasia (10.7%) and trauma (10.7%). Hemorrhage (47.1% of all maternal deaths), tuberculosis (40.0% of all infectious disease deaths), oropharyngeal cancer (23.1% of all neoplastic deaths), and burns (61.5% of all trauma deaths) were among the major causes identified. Maternal deaths were associated with young age and nulliparity (p-value < 0.01), and a higher proportion occurred in the hospital or on the way to the hospital as compared to non-maternal deaths.
authors.affiliation: Department of Community Health Sciences, Aga Khan University, Karachi, Pakistan.
authors.forename: F F
authors.initials: FF
authors.lastname: Fikree
authors.forename: M S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Karim
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Midhet
authors.forename: H W
authors.initials: HW
authors.lastname: Berendes
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002423:Cause of Death; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008423:Maternal Age; D008428:Maternal Mortality; D008875:Middle Aged; D010154:Pakistan; D010865:Pilot Projects; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors