WRA India - Facts on Safe Motherhood

What is maternal death?

The death of a woman while pregnant or within 42 days of termination of pregnancy (irrespective of the duration and the site of the pregnancy), from any cause related to or aggravated by the pregnancy or its management. However, the term does not encompass death due to accident or incidental causes.

What is maternal risk?

Maternal risk is the probability of dying or experiencing serious complications as a result of pregnancy or childbirth.

What are the indicators of the level of maternal morality?

-	A ratio: The maternal mortality ratio (MMR) is the number of maternal deaths per 100,000 live births. It indicates the risk of maternal death among pregnant women and those who have recently delivered.
-	A rate: The maternal mortality rate is the number of maternal deaths per 100,000 women aged 15-49 per year. It reflects both a woman’s risk of dying from maternal death and her risk of becoming pregnant.
-	A “lifetime risk”: A woman’s lifetime risk of maternal death is the probability that she will die from complications of pregnancy or childbirth at some point during her entire reproductive lifespan. A woman in Africa has a 1 in 16 risk of dying from a pregnancy while a woman in Europe has a 1 in 1,800 risk – sharply bringing home the differences in the risk faced by women in developed and developing nations.

What is safe motherhood?

Safe motherhood means ensuring that all women receive the care they need to be safe and healthy through pregnancy and childbirth. Safe motherhood embodies the philosophy that “no woman should die or be harmed by pregnancy or childbirth-related causes”.
Globally, approximately 515,000 maternal deaths occur every year -- that is, every minute a woman dies.

What are the causes?

The direct causes are: severe bleeding, infection, consequences of unsafe abortions, hypertensive disease (pre-eclampsia/eclampsia), and obstructed labour. Intermediate causes: unwanted/mistimed pregnancies, malnutrition, lack of skilled providers. Indirect causes: pre-existing diseases or disease that develops during pregnancy (i.e. anemia, malaria, heart disease). Underlying causes: gender, class, caste, tribe, race, ethnic group discrimination, poverty, lack of education.

What services are needed to prevent these deaths?

-	Antenatal care and counseling, including the promotion of maternal nutrition and birth planning.
-	Skilled attendants with necessary equipment and supplies.
-	Postpartum and newborn care.
-	Family planning, birth spacing information and services throughout reproductive lifespan and before and after pregnancy.
-	Community education on safe motherhood for women, families and communities.
-	Political and financial commitments from local, national and international governments.

What is the worldwide economic impact of maternal mortality?

-	Maternal deaths result in an estimated $7.5 billion in diminished potential productivity annually.
-	The loss of newborns results in an estimated $8 billion in diminished potential productivity annually.

What is the worldwide impact on children?

-	Two million motherless children.
-	Children who have lost their mothers are more likely to die within two years of maternal death
-	10 times the chance of death for the neonate
-	7 times the chance of death for infants older than one month
-	3 times the chance of death for children 1 to 5 years.
-	Additionally, enrolment in school for younger children is delayed and older children often leave school to support their family.

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