Leading Cause Of Death In Pregnant Women

Maternal mortality is defined as deaths in women who die while pregnant or within 42 days of giving birth, regardless of the length or location of the pregnancy, from any cause related to or amplified by the pregnancy or its management, but not from accidental or incidental causes.

In 2017, approximately 295 000 women died during and after pregnancy and childbirth. The vast majority of these deaths (94%) occurred in low-resource areas, and the majority of them could have been avoided.

Adolescent girls under the age of 15 have the highest risk of maternal mortality, and complications in pregnancy and childbirth are more common among adolescent girls aged 10 to 19.

The majority of complications arise during pregnancy and are either preventable or treatable. Other issues may exist before pregnancy, but they worsen during pregnancy, especially if they are not addressed as part of the woman’s care.

Severe bleeding (mostly bleeding after childbirth) and infections,high blood pressure (pre-eclampsia and eclampsia) usually after childbirth and during pregnancy and unsafe abortion are the leading causes of maternal death, accounting for nearly 75% of all maternal deaths