title: Trends in maternal health in Lithuania 1995-2014.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The Lithuanian Perinatology Program, orders issued by the Ministry of Health, regulating the care and treatment of mothers and their infants, and the well-running perinatal care system helped to improve the diagnostics and treatment of pregnancy pathology. Over the last 20 years, Lithuania has experienced significant improvements in the maternal and perinatal health.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data was collected from the official statistics database, Medical Data of Births, provided by the Institute of Hygiene Health Information Centre, Vilnius University Faculty of Medicine, and the Vilnius University Centre of Neonatology in 1995-2014.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The average maternal age at delivery ranged from 25.8 years in 1995 to 28.8 years in 2014. The comparison of 2001 and 2014 data shows that the incidence of gestational diabetes increased by 6.7 times due to the improved diagnosis. The percentage of hypertensive disorders decreased from 6.1% in 1997 to 3.2% in 2014. Between 1995 and 2014, the prevalence of anemia among pregnant women declined by half. The marked decrease in respiratory, urinary, genital and other diseases was observed among pregnant women. From 1995 to 2014, in Lithuania there were 67 maternal deaths related to pregnancy and childbirth. Hemorrhage and infections during pregnancy, delivery and the postpartum period are considered the most common causes of maternal death.
authors.affiliation: Clinics of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Vilnius University Faculty of Medicine, Vilnius University Hospital Santariškių Klinikos, Vilnius, Lithuania.
authors.forename: Gražina Stanislava
authors.initials: GS
authors.lastname: Drąsutienė
authors.affiliation: Clinics of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Vilnius University Faculty of Medicine, Vilnius University Hospital Santariškių Klinikos, Vilnius, Lithuania.
authors.forename: Nijolė
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Drazdienė
authors.affiliation: Clinics of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Vilnius University Faculty of Medicine, Vilnius University Hospital Santariškių Klinikos, Vilnius, Lithuania.
authors.forename: Audronė
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Arlauskienė
authors.affiliation: Clinics of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Vilnius University Faculty of Medicine, Vilnius University Hospital Santariškių Klinikos, Vilnius, Lithuania.
authors.forename: Diana
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ramašauskaitė
authors.affiliation: Clinics of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Vilnius University Faculty of Medicine, Vilnius University Hospital Santariškių Klinikos, Vilnius, Lithuania.
authors.forename: Jolita
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zakarevičienė
authors.affiliation: Vilnius University Faculty of Medicine, Vilnius University Hospital Santariškių Klinikos.
authors.forename: Edita
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kazėnaitė
authors.affiliation: Vilnius University Faculty of Medicine.
authors.forename: Vytautas
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Basys
authors.affiliation: Vilnius University Faculty of Medicine, Vilnius University Hospital Santariškių Klinikos.
authors.forename: Jonas
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Drąsutis
authors.affiliation: Vilnius University Hospital Santariškių Klinikos.
authors.forename: Indrė
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Sakalauskaitė
authors.affiliation: Clinics of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Vilnius University Faculty of Medicine, Vilnius University Hospital Santariškių Klinikos, Vilnius, Lithuania.
authors.forename: Vilija
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Sniečkuvienė
keywords: Lithuanian perinatology centres; maternal morbidity; mortality