title: Maternal health outcomes in Europe.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To use PERISTAT data on indicators of maternal mortality and morbidity to explore maternal health outcomes in Europe, and to discuss the implications of variations in the data sources for these indicators.
  
  
  METHODS
  The PERISTAT feasibility study provides the source for this descriptive study, covering 15 European countries. Maternal mortality ratios are calculated, and data to describe maternal mortality by age, cause of death and mode of delivery are pooled for the countries that provided data.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Data presented show an increased risk of maternal death among older mothers and for caesarean sections compared with other modes of delivery, and the three most prevalent causes of maternal deaths reported were embolism, hypertensive diseases of pregnancy, and haemorrhage.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Variations in maternal mortality ratios reflect different data sources with varying levels of ascertainment in addition to differences in the number of maternal deaths. Further development is needed to construct comparable indicators of maternal morbidity.
authors.affiliation: Reproductive Health Unit, School of Public Health, Université Libre de Bruxelles, 808 Route de Lennik, 1070 Brussels, Belgium. salexand@ulb.ac.be
authors.forename: Sophie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Alexander
authors.forename: Katherine
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Wildman
authors.forename: Weihong
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Langer
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Vutuc
authors.forename: Gunilla
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Lindmark
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D002423:Cause of Death; D036861:Delivery, Obstetric / Q000379:methods; D004617:Embolism / Q000401:mortality; D005060:Europe / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006470:Hemorrhage / Q000401:mortality; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000401:mortality; D008428:Maternal Mortality; D008429:Maternal Welfare / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011247:Pregnancy; D012307:Risk Factors