title: Maternal mortality and severe maternal morbidity surveillance in Canada.
abstract: The Canadian Perinatal Surveillance System has provided a comprehensive review of maternal mortality and severe maternal morbidity in Canada, and has identified several important limitations to existing national maternal data collection systems, including variability in the detail and quality of mortality data. The Canadian Perinatal Surveillance System report recommended the establishment of an ongoing national review and reporting system, as well as consistency in definitions and classifications of maternal mortality and severe maternal morbidity, in order to enhance surveillance of maternal mortality and severe maternal morbidity. Using review articles and studies that examined maternal mortality in general as opposed to maternal mortality associated with particular management strategies or conditions, maternal mortality and severe morbidity classifications, terminology, and comparative statistics were reviewed and employed to evaluate deficiencies in past and current methods of data collection and to seek solutions to address the need for enhanced and consistent national surveillance of maternal mortality and severe maternal morbidity in Canada.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Dalhousie University, Halifax NS.
authors.forename: Victoria M
authors.initials: VM
authors.lastname: Allen
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Toronto, Toronto ON.
authors.forename: Melanie
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Campbell
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Saskatchewan, Regina SK.
authors.forename: George
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Carson
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Université de Montréal, Montreal QC.
authors.forename: William
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Fraser
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver BC.
authors.forename: Robert M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Liston
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa ON.
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Walker
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Toronto, Toronto ON.
authors.forename: Jon
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Barrett
mesh_terms: D002170:Canada / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008428:Maternal Mortality; D011159:Population Surveillance / Q000379:methods*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000145:classification / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000401:mortality*