When getting there is not enough: a nationwide cross-sectional study of 998 maternal deaths and 1451 near-misses in public tertiary hospitals in a low-income country.

ABSTRACT:

Objective

To investigate the burden and causes of life-threatening maternal complications and the quality of emergency obstetric care in Nigerian public tertiary hospitals.

Design

Nationwide cross-sectional study.

Setting

Forty-two tertiary hospitals.

Population

Women admitted for pregnancy, childbirth and puerperal complications.

Methods

All cases of severe maternal outcome (SMO: maternal near-miss or maternal death) were prospectively identified using the WHO criteria over a 1-year period.

Main outcome measures

Incidence and causes of SMO, health service events, case fatality rate, and mortality index (% of maternal death/SMO).

Results

Participating hospitals recorded 91 724 live births and 5910 stillbirths. A total of 2449 women had an S

SUBMITTER: Oladapo OT 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5016783 | biostudies-literature | 2016 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature